This week's Adland Rockstar is Priti Rodricks, senior designer, Red Lion.
(Pictured above: Priti with some of her creations. Mathuradas Mills in Lower Parel came alive recently, when a collection of Priti's artwork led to genesis of The Mill Culture Crawl, a festival to celebrate the eccentricity of Mathuradas Mills and its surroundings.)
How did you get into advertising?
At school, I was pretty good at drawing and after my HSC, I joined Sophia Polytechnic for a 5-year course in Applied Art. I found advertising very challenging and interesting, but the art involved in it was very typical and boring. I wasn’t sure how after a five year course, I could make a difference. I joined Draftfcb+Ulka, but found the agency too hierarchical and old fashioned. I joined a packaging design firm DMA, where I got to work on some interesting brands and felt empowered. Then I moved to Contract where I got to meet a fabulous creative director, Rajesh Kulkarni (who now works with me at Red Lion). I also freelanced with Umbrella Design where I learnt a lot and gained confidence, thanks to Bhupal Ramnathkar who really liked my work. Later I joined Publicis Ambience, where I got to work with Ramanuj Shastry and Ambika Nehru.
How did the shift to Red Lion happen?
About four months into Publicis, I got talking with Elsie Nanji and already shared a good rapport with her. She liked some of my work and asked me whether I’d like to join Red Lion. I wasn’t so sure, since, in advertising, one gets to do everything, while design is too focussed. What’s more, an art director has no trouble shifting to design, but the reverse is a difficult transition to make. But eventually, Rajesh Kulkarni joined and since I always wanted to work with him, I thought it would be a good idea to switch. Besides, from 2007, branding and design had finally begun to get its due, since many brands were looking at it seriously. I’ve been at Red Lion since the past two years.
One thing you really like about your job?
Freedom, peace of mind and the best people to work with.
One thing you don’t like about your job?
I can get lazy. Things can get very comfortable here sometimes and that can make me complacent. But then if you’re an art director, you have something to do all the time. So I go out and click photographs.
Five art directors you really admire?
Rajesh Kulkarni, Rajiv Rao, Juju Basu, Bhupal Ramnathkar, Santosh Padhi. And there's Uday Parkar too.
Any person in advertising you’d like to have dinner with?
There's nobody aspirational in advertising to have dinner with. But I’d love to work with people like Agnello Dias, Santosh Padhi. So dinner with them sounds like a good idea, I guess.
Any person outside advertising you’d like to have dinner with?
Gerard Butler. In the movie 300, he fits the ‘men are beautiful’ phrase so well! (laughs)
Favourite film?
Life is Beautiful.
One film-maker you worship?
Quentin Tarantino. I think he is superb and outdoes himself every-time.
Favourite advertising campaign?
It’s difficult to choose a favourite advertising campaign from the zillions that are there around the world. But I like some public service films - Power of Wind for the German Ministry and a film about signatures for Amnesty International. Amongst Indian campaigns, I like the Vodafone Zoozoos films.
