Top Voice: Nils Leonard - Uncommon Creative Studio

As this is being typed it's 05:53 AM in Stockholm, Sweden. Oddly that's about the same time I sent the message to Nils Leonard, Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, asking if he'd consider answering a couple of questions related to Out Of Home. I was apologetic about the early hour.

Having listened to and read interviews with him I knew he delivers a fresh and no b**ls**t perspective. He isn't apologetic. Not about creativity.

Uncommon Creative Studio is widely regarded as one of the top tier creative studios in the world. They've made some of the most talked about work over the last couple of years and the 2023 Out Of Home Cannes Lions Grand Prix winner 'A British Original' is certainly one to remember.

If you've lived under a rock and therefore missed it, here's a case study:

Nils Leonard has a broad palette. For example, right now, he is the first ever guest editor of Contagious quarterly magazine.

When announcing him, Contagious editor Chloe Markowicz?said:

‘Nils is a brilliant creative mind and it was pleasure working with him to bring his passions and provocations?into the pages of our magazine. At Contagious, we think of ourselves as optimistic agitators. Nils embodies a similar spirit. He?not only strives for creative excellence in his own work but is determined to elevate the industry as a whole.’

Among the agencies Leonard has worked at, we find TBWA, AMV BBDO and Grey London. At the latter he was one of the creatives behind Volvo's ‘Life Paint,’ (later banned by the ASA) which won at Cannes Lions in 2016.

In 2017 he founded Uncommon Creative Studio together with Lucy Jameson and Natalie Graeme and as stated on their website, they're pretty straightforward about what's at play 'Uncommon London is a creative studio building brands that people in the real world actually wish existed.'

One such example is Halo Coffee that Leonard has co-founded. They've created the world's first 100% compostable paper capsule.

'The brands that consumers want now, care about craft, about beauty, about perfection. But the brands that consumers truly love, care about all of these things without forsaking the world around them.'

The D/OOH Report has had the good fortune of conducting this mini interview with Nils to get his and Uncommon's perspective on, and the role of, creativity within Out Of Home.

Some refreshing stuff in there and so for the next couple of editions, I'll portion out questions and answers.

Time to ponder, reflect and maybe start exploring what's next for you and your company.

TDR: This medium has always been linked with standout creative executions and some say it is a creative’s favorite medium. You guys have championed OOH, e.g. in ‘A British Original’ for BA. Would you care to share a few tricks of the Uncommon trade when it comes to ideation and execution for OOH?

N.L.: We love OOH. Its the last media of scale. A media that forces you to say one thing. A media that has seen the most iconic imagery so begs you for ambition. When we work on posters, we ask very?clear questions of the work. What is remarkable about this idea? What is the visual icon or mechanic of this idea? How is this new? How can this look and behave less like an advert? Why will anyone share this? Why will someone lift up their phone to share or keep this poster? When we write we ask: What is the?conviction here that people will share and feel? How will this statement chime with culture? How is this the thing people wish someone would say?

TDR: In Cannes last year I listened to a panel discussion that highlighted the benefits with Out Of Home but the people on stage also pointed out that OOH has historically had a tendency of not being central in the media planning. As the media landscape is undergoing change with linear television audiences on decline, from your Uncommon vantage point, what speaks in this mediums favor?

N.L.: We have made more OOH than any other medium. For brands in a moment of change that want scale it is in a category of one.

Also, sometimes if you get the work right, you don't need to buy 100 posters, only one. Like great politics, just make sure the cameras are pointed the right way.?

Happy Friday And Until Next Time!