2014 in Review with... Alexander Nowak

Alexander Nowak, creative director and curator of visual artsat Droga5 New York, takes a look back over the last 12 months and examines what he proud of, what he's impressed by and what he's learned.

Do you think that 2014 has been a particularly good year for global creative advertising?

Yes, I think it was a good year, but not the best it could be. There were a lot of smart ideas showcased in interactive TV spots or beautifully crafted smartphone apps, but we were also exposed to more interesting content films in the online world.

As of late, brands create more documentaries and collaborate with fine art artists or musicians, which is especially cool. Personally I was just missing some more highlights, especially in TV/film.

And how about in the US; has its creative output been of high quality in general?

The US is always one of the leading countries when it comes to creative output. I’m a big fan of work coming from the UK as well, but I think that the US dominated even more than usual. So, for us creatives, it's the ideal place to live and to work.

What campaigns or pieces of work have stood out for you this year and why?

I’m a big fan of cinematic film and beautifully crafted work in any kind of media. Senna’s Sound of Honda [below] is such a beautifully designed concept. Sia’s music video Chandelier was my favorite music video this year, no doubt. Daniel Askill did a fantastic job.

Honda's The Other Side, directed by Daniel Wolfe, is a great example of a beautifully shot film, which works well as an interactive experience as well. And there’s Droga5’s If We Made It campaign for Newcastle Brown Ale [below]. We’re all very proud of this piece of work from Newcastle’s creative team.

Technologically speaking, this year seemed to be the year of Oculus Rift; would you agree and will it be even more prominent in 2015 and beyond?

What we have seen from any Oculus Rift project so far is just the beginning. Speaking purely from an business perspective, it’s quite interesting to see how people in our creative circle jump too quickly, sometimes, on these new technologies and try to make it fit to their brand.

That said, I truly believe that we’ll see some great projects based on new technological inventions such as Oculus Rift in the near future. It’s a great platform to experience film in a different way.

What work achievement are you personally most proud of from this year?

I am most proud of two projects: First, it was a great to launch our new Under Armour campaign I Will What I Want, featuring Misty Copeland and Gisele Bundchen [below]. At a time when everyone else is telling women how to live, the campaign celebrates women who define success on their own terms.

We launched the campaign with a TV spot featuring ballerina Misty Copeland (directed by Johnny Green) and an online experiment featuring supermodel Gisele Bundchen (directed by Jaron Albertin). It’s the most successful campaign in the brand’s 16 year history, making uber masculine Under Armour, now a symbol of female athletic aspiration.

The second project is Hennessy’s latest iteration of the What’s Your Wild Rabbit? campaign [below], which explores the inner drive of hip-hop legend Nas. The Martin de Thurah-directed spot shows the artist chasing his Wild Rabbit on the New York subway, on a dreamlike journey through four different eras, from the early 1980s until today. Featuring people of all backgrounds, cultural touch points, such as the 5 Pointz building and iconic 80s and 90s fashions, the spot also pays tribute to the diversity of New York City. 

What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned over the course of 2014?

It’s not really something unique to 2014, but I’ve learned even more this year that it’s worth it to push hard for your creative vision and even more important, that real beauty lies in the detail. 95 per cent makes work very good, but the last 5% elevates it to something special you can be proud of. Good examples of this notion are this year’s outstanding projects I mentioned above.

What are you most excited about for 2015?

To create great work for any kind of brand or business. I believe it’s a great challenge for us creatives to come up with amazing work for clients which might be not the coolest in the first place. 

What do you think the big talking points or changes in the industry will be next year?

Brands making meaningful impact on culture. We saw a lot of that this year and I think this is going to ramp up even more in the coming year. I know it is what we strive to achieve at Droga5.

What are you asking Santa for this Christmas?

A couple more days off for next year.

What will be your new year’s resolution?

If Santa is making my wish come true, I’ll try to travel to more new places in the world. That might sound a bit cheesy, I know, but I think it’s about time to discover more countries and get new inspiration.