Newsmaker: Alfa Aphrodita on the birth and dynamic growth of Arcade Indonesia

Arcade Indonesia is an agency of 50 people. This is hard to believe as the agency only opened it’s doors twelve months ago in January 2014. Led by co-founders – CEO Gary Caulfield and ECD Alfa Aphrodita – Arcade Indonesia has been an outstanding success story in the Indonesian industry.  In this latest ‘Newsmaker’ column Campaign Brief Asia spoke to Aphrodita to find out more on their success.

Before co-founding Arcade Indonesia, Alfa Aphrodita held the roles of creative director at McCann Erickson Indonesia and creative group head at Ogilvy. Her creative achievements span the worlds of traditional advertising, digital media and content. Aphrodita started her career as a junior Art Director at Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Jakarta in 2001. Over the next 11 years she rose to creative group head before moving to McCann Indonesia as Creative Director. She left McCann after only a year, in November 2013, to put plans together to launch Arcade in the Indonesian market. The founding client of Arcade Indonesia wasUnilever and within the first 3 months they were also appointed to launch the prestigious IKEA brand in the country.

How busy has the first 12 months of Arcade Jakarta been for you?

Extremely busy, in a good way. There was never a “honeymoon season” for us as we were so busy from day one, but I believe it’s something I need to be thankful for.

How many pitches have you been involved in so far and many brands do you now work with?

I have been involved in 10 pitches that we have won. And now we are working with 18 brands. When we started in January 2014 there was only two of us – my partner/CEO Gary Caulfield and myself. Now we are a company of almost 50 people. We don’t fit in the one building anymore so now we rent the house across the street as an extension office. We call it Arcade 2.0.

You’ve had great success so far but can you keep growing at this same rate?

We do want to keep growing, but we don’t want to grow too big. So at some point very soon we will have to step back, stay small, and focus on clients we already have now.

How did the opportunity to start up Arcade Jakarta come about?

The opportunity came when Gary (pictured left) and I left McCann. The founders of Arcade Singapore came to us and said, “How about opening Arcade Jakarta?” I knew those guys and I really like them, and I admire what Arcade Singapore has achieved so far. What appealed to us is the very rare opportunity to be part of those guys, and to start and create the same growth here in Indonesia.

What have been the highlights so far in your first year of Arcade?

We have grown at warp speed so every month in the last year had their own highlights. One of them was when we got the IKEA business, and other pitch wins on Unilever big brands such as Pond’s, Bango, Rexona.

Plus, when we were evaluated by Unilever in their mid year review we ranked number 1 as their digital agency among other agencies, and when we were given more business without pitches. And we ended 2014 with a big win on Djarum.

Beside new business wins, there are also daily highlights. Those moments when we crack a brief, do a good presentation, had an office party, or simply when we were so busy but still managed to laugh and cracking jokes in between. I believe the most important thing is that we have managed to create a good environment for people to work in. A place of passion, when we do good work while simply having fun. That’s what advertising is all about.

What’s different about Arcade compared to the two previous multinational agencies that you have worked at?

The fact they we’re too small to have too many layers in the structure. The fact that we bring key people to do client facing in meetings. This makes everything so much simpler, easier and and faster in the process.

What have been your priorities since launching?

We did have a goal when we started. We thought it would be great to have 2-4 clients and maybe 6 people by the end of the year. The fact that by the end of 2014 we had 18 clients and almost 50 people makes us very cautious in setting future goals!

The objectives and priorities of Arcade are very simple. The reason we set up this agency is because we wanted to create a fun environment that makes good people love to do great work, and we will try as hard as possible to maintain it that way.

Who are your key people at Arcade Jakarta?

Everyone in Arcade has a role that makes this place keep going and I respect them all deeply. But if I have to narrow it down to the key people, then there are three other key people that I should mention here:

Gary Caulfield, CEO and Co-founder, whom I have worked with for more than 9 years since my previous agencies. The only CEO in town that drives his own car and still writes copy besides doing the CEO job.

Dewi Theo, our General Manager, a brilliant account person whom I love working with.

And Aldo Hutomo, one of the Creative Directors who is also Co-Founder, who put a lot of faith and hard work into Arcade from day one.

How closely do you work with the Arcade office in Singapore?

I always see them as “big brothers” and I believe that’s how close we can define our relationship with them so far. They put faith in us since the beginning, helped us whenever we needed them, taught us, advised us, supported us, and are proud of us. They feel like family, believe it or not. They taught us how to be independent but at the same time always supporting us with help whenever we need them.

What did you do before getting into advertising?

I was at school. I studied Communication Visual Design at Bandung Institute of Technology. I also did part time work as an in-house designer at a small digital graphic house in Bandung when I was still at Uni. Sometimes I also did part time jobs drawing murals for kindergarten or cafe.

How did you first get into advertising as a career?

I fell in love with advertising even before I knew what advertising was all about. My mom used to tell me a story that when I was 4 years old, I’d prefer watching commercials on TV rather than a cartoon (weird, I know). After graduating high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I knew I didn’t want to be an engineer, or a doctor (like my Dad), nor a teacher (like my Mom). All I knew was that I loved drawing. My mom was the one who suggested Art School to me. I told her, “But I don’t want to be an artist”. She then told me, “Well maybe you can work in advertising like your Aunt Chili”. Chili was my favourite aunty because she is so cool, she was a Creative Group Head in Lintas back then. So I learned advertising in school but I also learned a lot about agency life from her. I owe her that to this very day, and to my mom who suggested the idea.

What was your first big break in advertising?

When I got promoted to Creative Group Head from Art Director when I was at Ogilvy. I was so scared to hold so much responsibility.

What would you say was your second big break?

When I decided to leave Ogilvy after 11 years and move to McCann as Creative Director.

What is your career highlight?

Now, here, at Arcade.

Your three favourite ads/campaigns that you have been involved with?

1. Print Campaign for Domes
tic Violence against Indonesian Maids as a Creative Group Head

2. Wrinkle Billboard for POND’S Age Miracle as Art Director

3. Solusi Polusi Campaign for POND’S as Executive Creative Director

What are the 3 ads/campaigns that make you green with envy?

It’s tough to name only 3 obviously, but 3 recent ones at least would be;

Dumb Ways to Die (of course ); Droga 5’s Superbowl campaign for Newcastle Brown Ale; and the Harvey Nichols “Sorry, I spent it on Myself” campaign.

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

Yes, he is now my CEO – Gary Caulfield

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

Hmmm, that sounds like three people, not one maybe? So the most interesting would be my husband Aldo Khalid, the most inspiring would be Gary Caulfield and the funniest would be Matt Cullen (Arcade Singapore co-founder).

Your proudest moment?

My proudest moment was winning the IKEA business from the three biggest agencies in town when we were literally just a three person agency.

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

Adopting pets, reading, drawing, spending time with my husband (occasionally) and sharing cigars with Ross Tinney (A well known freelance director).

Favourite holiday destination?

Bali of course, but I love Hong Kong too.

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

I am very superstitious.

Read Campaign Brief Asia’s previous Newsmaker profile stories:

Norman Tan – JWT China

Ronald Ng – BBDO and Proximity Singapore

Matt Eastwood – Global CCO, JWT

Yang Yeo – Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai

RajDeepak Das – Leo Burnett India

Rahul Mathew – DDB Mudra West, India

Rob Sherlock – ADK Asia Pacific

Masako Okamura – Dentsu Vietnam