China’s “good enough” disease and its worst culprits – Leo Burnett’s chief creative officer Victor Manggunio

It’s been 18 months since Leo Burnett lured Victor Manggunio (pictured) back to the network to lead its China operations as Chief Creative Officer.

Campaign Brief Asia decided to ask him how it’s all going, just a couple of months shy of his next gig at AdFest 2017, where he’s on board as the festival’s Jury President for Media Lotus & Effective Lotus. 

You re-joined Leo Burnett in 2015. What have achieved so far, and what’s your creative vision for Leo Burnett China?

Coming into Leo Burnett in 2015, we knew it would be a transition year. Morale was down and a lot needed to be stabilised business-wise. I’m happy to say that by end of 2016 we did well and more importantly the influx of new talent resulted in a fantastic boost to morale and a sense of togetherness that was maybe lacking previously. I love the teams dearly and they have really put their heads down and delivered against a very difficult task.

My creative vision for LB China has always been to bring it back to what makes LB great all around the world. Human-centric stories that immerse, engage or move our audiences to be brand lovers. The goal is to steer away from pandering product features or clever-for-clever’s sake ideas, and tell relatable stories.

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you face leading a network in China?

The large gap in acceptable quality. The “good enough” disease, I call it.

The culprits are basically anyone who has been here long enough. It seems that eventually everyone accepts that certain standards are unattainable or not worth the extra effort. We tend to settle for ‘ok’ and pat ourselves on the back and say, “Let’s move onto the next project, maybe it will be better.” My pet peeve is hearing the phrase: “T I.C. -This Is China”. It’s a cop-out statement.

Why did you decide to leave “ad land” to set up your own production company as a director for a few years?

I needed a break from corporate life and ad agency structure. I wanted to pursue a different aspect to my passion, which was to direct and film the stories I wrote or help create.

So, what inspired you to return to Leo Burnett?

I learnt a lot working with other agencies outside the LB network. I felt reinvigorated in the approach towards briefs, work and even clients & agency. When the opportunity came to join LB again in an expanded role, I jumped at the chance. It’s not every day top level management asks you to help build a forward thinking agency.

I started with fresh talents with little reference of what a “traditional agency” is and restructured teams where possible to break away from the art director + copywriter model.

It excites me to bring in different types of talent into the creative mix. For example, we have a writer that actually can code software and has a good backend understanding of digital mediums. We have collaborated on projects with film editors (I love the way they think about a story, it’s rather different compared with writers), game designers (I’m a big gamer) and fabrication & manufacturing engineers.

We have also been active with in-house training holding different types of classes and sharing sessions. I’m also a believer in the Internship Programs and the hope is to have a decent conversion from interns to full time staff when they graduate. So far we’re off to a decent start but more eyes need to be opened, both on client and agency side, for this to hit full stride.

You have a reputation for being a wonderful mentor to younger creatives. Do you have any advice for people starting out in advertising?

My advice may be cliché but it works for me: Write down your passion on a piece of paper, frame it, commit it to memory and follow it. There will be days, nights weeks and even maybe years that people or situations will make you question what you’re doing. That piece of paper may just help you stay the course. Adjust your career decisions smartly, but never lose track of that passion. On long lonely nights when you question your purpose, that handwritten note to yourself will light up the way for you.

Mine is: I want to create and tell the best stories in the world.

The theme of AdFest is all about diversity this year. What are you most looking forward to about being part of this year’s event?

I’m excited to be a part of this year’s theme – Cultural Diversity. Considering current global news and tensions, I think the world needs a lot of it right now.

Understanding diversity is really the key. The ability to tap into different point of views, life lessons, experience and generally being more open to forward thinking ideas from varied sources is the path to creative work that resonates well with our audiences, bringing better work and results for everyone.

Speaking of diversity: you are Canadian Chinese, born in Hong Kong, but have lived and worked across Hong Kong, Malaysia, and China. Do you think living in so many different places has influenced your creativity?

Absolutely. Diversity isn’t just about your ethnic background, it’s about where you’ve travelled, how you’ve lived, what you’ve learned. It shapes the very lens you see and react to the world around you. Every city I’ve had the privilege to live or work in has influenced my work and personal life. I only regret I haven’t travelled more.