Dejan Rasic and Ben Colman

Colman Rasic partners Ben Colman, chief executive, and Dejan Rasic, ECD, talk to CREATIVE about their working relationship.

How did you get into the design/publishing/advertising/production/animation industry?

BEN: I spent the first half of my career as a marketing client. I was at Smiths Snackfood and my agency was The Campaign Palace. The Palace was at the height of its creative power at the time and from the moment I walked in the door as a client I knew that I wanted to work with these people.

Their intelligence, talent and passion were palpable and infectious.  It was like no other agency I had worked with. I was hooked. I told the then Palace CEO Reg Bryson that I’d love to switch to advertising. To Reg’s enduring credit he tapped me on the shoulder to run the Westpac pitch, which we won. I’ve been on the roller-coaster ever since.

DEJAN: I’m going to take it right back to school. I was so much more into the creative subjects. My super inspirational art teacher Rob Shumacher encouraged me to pursue something creative and when I discovered advertising, it seemed like something I would naturally enjoy doing because the industry was so driven by conceptual thinking.

After high school I did AWARD School and was very lucky to land a job as a junior creative pretty soon after. I’ve worked at agencies in Sydney, London and Singapore since. Sixteen years on, it’s still as exciting as ever because you’re always working on something different.

Was it difficult getting your first break? What was your first-ever job?

BEN: I was lucky enough to switch to advertising at a relatively senior level at The Palace – as a group account director. But I guess I had to put myself out there and take a big risk in switching from client to agency. But it was so worth it.

DEJAN: My first break as a creative came years and years ago at a small independent agency called McMurtry Sherbon Vartan and Partners. They’re long gone now. A great man by the name of Paul Dent took a punt on me and even gave me an office, which was pretty exciting coming out of high school. They taught me so much about the day-to-day working of the business. Once I was in, I never looked back.

Why did you want to work in advertising?

BEN: As a client I recognised that great advertising was the most powerful way to generate sales and build a brand. I wanted to be a part of that process and to work with the most talented creatives in the industry. It’s also a people business, which I love.

DEJAN: I’ve always been interested in doing something creatively driven as a career. Advertising is great because it allows you to think in ideas and apply those ideas to brands. One of the best things about the industry is seeing your work out in the public domain, seeing how people respond to it and watching it contribute to the success of a business or brand.

When/where did you first meet? How did you start working together?

BEN: Dejan and I met at Lowe Hunt. I was CEO and Dejan was the ceative director. I walked downstairs and there he was. We started working together in an effort to turn the creative fortunes of Lowe Hunt around.

What were your first impressions of each other?

BEN: I thought this guy is the real deal. You meet so many people who are great at talking in this game. But Dejan lets his ideas do the talking. He doesn’t waste words and gets to the heart of the matter with clarity so you can have a real conversation, which I love.  It was a delight to watch his influence infect the agency with a sense of possibility and confidence with campaigns like Lynxjet, the launch of Hyundai A-League and MTV Welcome Snoop.

DEJAN: I immediately realised that Ben was different to all the other CEO’s I have worked with. He has an infectious love of the industry and more importantly, great work.

He has so much passion and knowledge of advertising. More than most creative people I know. In that sense, it was great working together because we really understood each other. He also has no nonsense approach to the business and cuts to the chase. In terms of thinking, he is a natural strategist. A lot of the time, we work as a creative team.

Does the other person have any annoying habits?

BEN: Dejan has many habits such as an addiction to online shopping, and a passion for parking his feet on my desk, none of which annoy me. If they did, I’d tell him. You’ve got to have a massive sense of humour running an agency. And thick skin. If people’s silly habits upset you, you’re in the wrong game.

DEJAN: For some reason he’s always asking what the date is. I should get him a calendar.

Do you ever fight?

BEN: Fight is a big word. No. We disagree all the time. But it’s never personal. We are both very passionate about what we do. But when you respect the other person’s talent and point of view, it pays to listen.

DEJAN: We debate sometimes. Which is different to fighting. It’s usually about getting to the heart of a solution to a brief. It is constructive most of the time because we are honest about what we think. There’s no point agreeing on everything all the time. We also encourage people to speak their minds and have an opinion at the office. You never get anywhere if people just tell you what you want to hear.
 
How do you approach the task of collaborating jointly? Any tips on creative partnerships?

BEN: It helps if you like each other. It helps more if you respect and challenge each other. It really helps if you trust each other 100 per cent to deliver.

DEJAN: I agree, if it is built around a genuine passion for what you’re doing, you generally work a lot better together.

What are your respective strengths/weaknesses?

BEN: Dejan strength is a prodigious creative capacity and natural talent. He has great insight into what makes people tick and how to connect brands to an insight. He is also a perfectionist – in a good way. My strengths are more commercial and business related.  And I think I’m pretty good strategically.

DEJAN: Ben is super organised. You only need to look at our desks to see I am not. He is also very analytical and thinks strategically when it comes to the business. My role is the ideas side but having said that we work closely on that side of things as well. My weakness is definitely coffee. I need to cut back on that.

What frustrates you about working in advertising?

BEN: The bullshit that we cling to about tools and processes. Yes they are important. But we are elevating them at the expense of recognising and empowering real creative talent. A well-defined process will only take you so far in this business. Real success comes when a talented team are empowered to step off the map and into the unknown.

DEJAN: We’re constantly trying to reinvent what we do as an industry. We love inventing new roles, new philosophies and toolkits. We love charts, even animated ones. We celebrate the meeting more than the outcome sometimes. Sure, there are a lot more toys to play with now and exciting new mediums to utilise but the one thing that will never change has been at the core of what we do since day one. It’s quite simply coming us with ideas that people will engage with.
 
Where do you look for inspiration?

BEN: I have always admired Crispin Porter. They get it.

DEJAN: I think inspiration is hard to instantly find. If you make it your mission to surround yourself and your life with inspiring things and people then hopefully some of it will rub off.

When you’re working on a brief, it’s usually a solitary affair. A notepad and a pen. Maybe a coffee, but it really is about finding a solution and connecting entertainment to a commercial message. You draw on all sorts of inspiration but it is ultimately a databank, built over many years in your mind that helps you come up with exciting work.
 
Career highlights?

BEN: Winning the Westpac account for The Palace and myself a job in advertising. And Cannes 2006 where we picked up nine Lions including a Grand Prix for LynxJet.

DEJAN: Meeting my favourite rapper of all time, Snoop Dogg. And having the opportunity to hang out with him for a week and shoot a long form content piece. That was definitely an amazing experience. Launching the A-League at Lowe Hunt and of course LYNXjet was so much fun.

How do you stay sane?

BEN: I have five children. I lost my sanity long ago.

DEJAN: Why stay sane? It’s boring.

Any mentors?

BEN: If I had to pick one it would be Lionel Hunt. I worked with the founder of The Campaign Palace for 10 years. He taught me how to ply the trade with dignity and belief.

DEJAN: I’ve worked with so many great people during my career. It would be hard to name one because I’d have to name so many more and then it would just seem like I’m being nice to everyone.