{"id":26527,"date":"2022-03-30T12:36:32","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T10:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cherrydeck.com\/blog\/?p=26527"},"modified":"2022-03-31T15:17:09","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T13:17:09","slug":"interview-kevin-lynch-oatly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherrydeck.com\/blog\/interview-kevin-lynch-oatly\/","title":{"rendered":"The Do’s Behind Creative Direction at Oatly \u2013 Talking with Kevin Lynch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this interview, Kevin Lynch \u2013 a Creative Director at Oatly \u2013 shares with us his expertise. We talk about inspiring creativity, key beliefs behind Oatly’s successful campaigns, engaging an audience, and much more.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Oatly<\/a> is one of the few examples of how companies can build a successful and consistent voice and personality. Therefore, to understand what is behind Oatly’s campaign success, we reached out to none other than one of the talented Creative Directors at Oatly’s Department of Mind Control: Kevin Lynch.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Swedish brand is recognized for its signature chucklesome billboards around cities, catching the attention of vegans and non-vegans alike. Furthermore, their original and relatable copy has contributed to positioning the company as the leading oat milk brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on as Kevin expatiates on his role and background, work culture, what makes a great campaign, key beliefs at Oatly, how to connect with your audience, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oatly<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
1. Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started and get where you are?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I got into advertising by sucking at everything else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My university path began in marketing. I got kicked out of business school and went into psychology. I found that fascinating but it required me to read books that do not have Cliffs Notes, so I headed into journalism. I wasn\u2019t exactly adept at that either, but as part of my major, I had to take an advertising course, and I discovered advertising contained the most interesting parts of my three previous majors \u2013 the branding\/business side, the audience\/persuasion side, and the storytelling\/craftsmanship side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In hindsight, advertising was the obvious career choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My professional journey has taken me through Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and now to the charming hamlet of Malm\u00f6, Sweden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You have been Creative Director at a big agency, in addition to founding your own creative consultancy company. What common practices have you taken with you?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

New challenges are my oxygen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, there are always practices you\u2019ve picked up, shortcuts you\u2019ve learned, and contacts that you\u2019ve made which make you more effective as you take on new jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I always look for roles that have a healthy dose of \u201chey-I\u2019ve-never-done-that-before.\u201d<\/strong> In Chicago, my jobs were about learning to be an entrepreneur or growing teams. In Hong Kong, the challenge was finding that delicate balance between regional needs and global demands. In Shanghai, I had the opportunity to establish the foundation of a brand that had been around since 1912.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By taking on totally new challenges with each role, you don\u2019t benefit as much from previous experiences. But you do end up with a broad suite of strengths \u2013 not to mention some great stories to tell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Creativity is more impactful if it\u2019s the center of a company\u2019s culture rather than the name of a department.<\/p>Kevin Lynch<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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3. As Creative Director at Oatly, what does your day-to-day look like?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I know the stock answer is, \u201cThere is no normal day.\u201d But in spite of the unpredictable energy you find at Oatly, there is indeed a sense of order. It\u2019s Sweden, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day usually starts with an early call to Australia, one of the markets I work with. The first few minutes consist of everyone saying \u201cGood morning\u2026 no wait, good evening\u2026 wait, what time is it there again?\u201d Everyone laughs politely, every single time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, I connect with my Swedish colleagues, often over a coffee. By the way, have you ever tried coffee with Oatly\u2019s Barista edition? I was totally just paid to say that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the afternoon, I usually meet with a couple of the other markets I work with \u2013 The Netherlands and Spain \u2013 on current and upcoming projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And thanks to the immense respect our organization has for the creative process, I spend the rest of each day doing what everyone wishes they had more time for<\/strong>: Exploring trends, reading current events, diving into creative inspiration, and chatting up partners who might make for good future collaborators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(NOTE TO SELF: Should I also mention I set aside time each day to disregarding deadlines?) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(REPLY FROM SELF: No.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oatly<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Having a healthy respect for the power of each discipline is another way of bringing the best out of everyone. <\/p>Kevin Lynch<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

4. How do you inspire creativity and leverage the skills of your team?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I would credit Swedish culture with helping to get the best of our team. Sweden tends to be quite egalitarian, which means when a multidisciplinary team at Oatly gathers together, everyone arrives with the knowledge their role is important<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also take a collaborative approach to creative development. A whole project could grow out of a social media observation, a unique partnership, or a PR insight\u2026 Having a healthy respect for the power of each discipline is another way of bringing the best out of everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last thing I\u2019d mention is a ritual I imported from my days in Shanghai: Each Monday morning, I send out an email about something I found inspiring from the week before<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a good week, the note helps set a productive tone among the team. On a bad week, it gets reported as spam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. What has been your favorite project(s) so far? Why?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

My favorite marketing isn\u2019t actually marketing \u2013 rather, it\u2019s when marketing becomes an extension of the brand itself<\/strong>. Which is why I loved the Red Cube Project for the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To celebrate the opening of their Modern Wing, the AIC created \u201c500 Ways of Looking at Modern\u201d which was a year-long series of exhibits, talks, and events. The marketing for it fit right in: We created 500 red cubes (which echoed the visual look of the AIC\u2019s new logo) and hid them all around the city. Each cube had a URL and password. When people found the cubes and went online, they were given an art assignment to do\/post\/perform, and the best of the assignments became part of an exhibit in the Art Institute itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think about how the discovery of one of those red cubes broke the tunnel vision that we build up going through our lives each day. And I believe that\u2019s exactly what happens when you visit the AIC \u2013 you become more aware of your environment and open to the unexpected. Hence, the marketing became the brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To top it off, the Red Cube Project was a highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary project involving dozens of colleagues, and it benefitted a cultural institution I love, and a city I love. And if that wasn\u2019t enough, it was also one of the best client presentations ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We presented to the leader of the AIC who, up until we spoke, was expecting to see a few social media posts and maybe a billboard. When we finally finished sharing the highly complex, somewhat risky campaign idea, he said, \u201cWhy WOULDN\u2019T we do this?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then he walked out of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. What do you think are three qualities a great creative campaign should have?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

1. A great campaign breaks laws<\/strong> \u2013 it screws with an assumption you have; it says\/does\/shows something that\u2019s not supposed to be said\/done\/shown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. A great campaign creates (or enhances) assets<\/strong> that last long after the media buy ends \u2013 it could be as small as a phrase or as big as a cultural movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. A great campaign leaves room for the audience \u2013 think conversation<\/strong>, not campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. A great campaign ignores the brief<\/strong>. Not always, but almost always. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Oatly is known for its simple yet funny and unapologetic shareable advertisements with a back-to-basics approach. What do you consider key to the success of these? <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s not really a rule book at Oatly<\/strong>. We take pride in being \u201cconsistently inconsistent.\u201d But here are a few beliefs that seem to be widely shared:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n