A Creative Moment with...Indy Selvarajah, chief creative officer at Ketchum London
In the first of our new podcast series, Creative Moment's Tom Hall talks to a well-known figure in the creative industry, chief creative officer at Ketchum London, Indy Selvarajah.
With a varied creative start spanning art, television and scriptwriting, Indy's agency career began a decade ago and led him to his current role in global markets.
Now leading a team of creatives at Ketchum, Indy plays a vital role in its 'culture first' approach to work and in this conversation, he talks about what this means to him and how the philosophy was born.
We chat about earned media, art-house film, and how right now is a great time to be working in this industry. In his words, "there is no excuse for not making great work".
Welcome to the Creative Moment podcast—a Creative Moment with Indy Selvarajah.
00:00:37 Indy talks about what he is currently working on in his role at Ketchum and how he likes to work.
00:01:56 Indy shares his views on the Creative Moment Awards (unprompted) and that he is preparing his entries as we speak.
00:02:56 Indy's creative background was quite diverse, originally working as a traditional artist, exhibiting work in galleries both here and abroad. He focused on installation and digital art before transitioning into television, where he wrote for Channel Four and other platforms. Later on he moved into advertising and then into PR, so his career path hasn't been solely in earned media.
Indy explains how his journey has involved various disciplines, and how he has found that today, the lines between paid, earned, and other forms of media are becoming more blurred. He believes that having experience across different fields is valuable; it allows you to understand earned media from a broader perspective.
00:05:22 Indy and Tom talk about the relationship between art, artists and creativity day in the realms of PR and communications.
It's all connected, and that's what makes it interesting. Indy thinks now is a particularly fascinating time, despite nostalgia for the "good old days" in advertising. Today, we have earned media alongside paid, digital, social influence, and even fashion merging into the mix. With so many innovative people in different fields, there's really no excuse not to create great work. Earned media is about more than just where your ad appears—it's about making an impact beyond traditional channels like billboards.
00:06:48 Indy tells us what ‘culture first’ means to him and how it came about.
It's something he has developed a philosophy around, and it is all about thinking about how we respond to culture and immerse ourselves to generate the best ideas.
However, in practice, it's not always straightforward. PR agencies often lean towards quick, surface-level ideas that can get out the door fast and move on to the next thing. Instead of deeply engaging with a point of view or human perspective, there's sometimes a rush to simply get coverage, which has traditionally been a key performance indicator (KPI) in PR.
Culture-first work needs to resonate deeply with people, addressing fundamental human truths. When executed well, this naturally attracts the right kind of attention from journalists and others.
Tom asks about the minimalist nature of some of the ads Indy has created while at Ketchum, and Indy discusses some of the agency’s ambitions in this area.
They talk about craftsmanship in PR and how it is gaining recognition in some agencies now, but it's about producing work internally rather than just amplifying others' efforts.
00:14:00 Tom asks how Indy approaches international markets and some of your learnings from them?
00:14:27 Indy talks about their success in influencing clients from European markets and pushing the envelope with innovative campaigns. ”Each market presents unique challenges and opportunities due to varying sizes and contexts, but our shared philosophy and approach ensure we deliver impactful results globally. Personally, I find this diversity and the ability to collaborate across different cultures and teams incredibly rewarding. It keeps the work dynamic and interesting, pushing us to constantly innovate and achieve excellence.”
00:21:52 Indy shares some of the exciting projects he and his team are working on right now, including work for Sansumg, Amazon and Adobe.
00:25:34 Indy talks about trends and how they are always changing, especially with new technology. “Agencies and brands need to stay ahead of these trends and integrate them into their work. For me, though, I've been thinking a lot about loyalty, especially with younger audiences. There's a big shift in the type of loyalty they have compared to previous generations. Younger people are more likely to switch brands based on who tells the right story, provides the right access or information, or stands by their principles. Loyalty is a major trend now.”
Indy explains why he loves work that solves issues while being beautifully and simply executed. “A great campaign should be understandable even to a six-year-old.” Indy talks through his favourite examples.
00:33:05 Indy and Tom chat about AI and it’s place in our industry.
“Instead of just drawing from what already exists, it's about creating something new.”
00:33:36 Tom asks about how Indy motivates and leads in his role.
00:33:54 “It's challenging because everything needs to be faster and more efficient. While working quickly can sometimes be beneficial, it's also crucial to remember that the brain, like any muscle, needs time to rest and recuperate. Great ideas don't usually come from sitting at a desk staring at a laptop; they come when you're doing something else, like taking a shower or chatting with someone.”
“Personally, I've learned to work efficiently and find pockets of time to focus. Younger creatives need to find their own best ways of working and create the right conditions for themselves. The right environment is essential for creativity.”