10 minutes with Edmund Choe

Eachweek Campaign Brief Asia sits down with a prominent creative talentfrom our region and gets to know them better. This week in this regular”10 Minutes With” column is one of the Edmund Choe, who last year movedfrom Malaysia to be the Regional Executive Creative Director of Saatchi& Saatchi China.

What did you do before getting into advertising?

Iwas a studio assistant – spending most of my time retouchingphotographs (no Photoshop back then so we had to do it by hand) andcleaning airbrushes.

How did you first get into advertising as a career?

Iwas making around $130 a week at the studio, so when an ad agencyoffered me a job for $750 a month as FA artist, I jumped on it.

Who gave you your first big break?

Mr.Gohthe studio manager. He liked my drawings so he made me storyboardartist. This new job put me in front of the ECD frequently – a coupleof months later an Art Director screwed up and I was given her job.

What is your career highlight to date?

Saatchi & Saatchi Malaysia.

Your two best ads/campaigns that you have been involved with?

They’llhave to be the ‘CHASE’ and ‘BAIT’ TV spots for Toyota. Like many otherToyota work from Saatchi Malaysia, they lead the way by breaking themold of conventional car advertising. The two spots also went on to wina Nomination at D&AD and a lion at Cannes.

What attracted you to want to work in China?

The thought made me nervous.

What do you see as the key challenges for you in China and how much different is your job in China compared to Malaysia?

Myjob will be pretty much the same as it was in Malaysia and Indonesia.It’s not just to bring in the awards (that’s a taken) but moreimportantly to help create an environment that will help grow andattract good talent. The big difference is to achieve this across fiveoffices: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taiwan. China islike a giant on speed – so a key challenge for me would definitely bethe race against time.

Is there an ad that makes you green with envy?

Myall time favourite is the drunk driving spot by Saatchi & SaatchiSingapore that picked up a D&AD Black Pencil in 1990. The idea wasso simple – it’s brilliant.

Do you have a ‘worst mistake’ or a most embarrassing moment in your advertising career to date?

Made too many to remember or care.

Is there a person you have enjoyed working with the most?

No. I’ve enjoyed working with so many great people. Without them I would never have stayed in this business for so long.

Who is the most interesting, or most inspiring, or funniest person you have ever met or worked with?

In no particular order – Ian Batey, the late Norman Alcuri and Clive Morris, Linda Locke, Dave Droga and Craig Davis.

What’s your favourite leisure activity/hobbies outside of advertising?

Wehold regular cooking competitions at home with friends and family. Myyounger daughter is reining champ with her mushroom gyozas.

So you’re a foodie… what’s your favourite recipe?

Myfavourite recipe would be my mum’s version of the famous Baba Nyoya(Straits born Chinese) dish called “Babi Ponteh” – which is a savourypork stew.

Download the recipe:

BABI PONTEH.pdf

Favourite holiday destinations?

ProbablyThailand – but I can chill just about anywhere as long there’s family,friends and lots of good food. Being close to nature would be nice, butnot a must.

Favourite hotels?

None. I’m not a big fan of hotels. They make me homesick.

Tell me something about yourself that not many people would know?

I diet.

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