Pulp (Nonthaporn) Ketmanee on ‘See It Be It’: “Trust your instincts, and be true to yourself”

Pulp (Nonthaporn) Ketmanee was one of 19 women and non-binary people from 14 markets to take part in See It Be It at Cannes Lions 2024. She spoke with Campaign Brief Asia about what she learned.

From mentorship sessions to masterclasses, the advice that Pulp received during this year’s See It Be It program has completely changed her view on creativity and what it means to be a leader – advice she’s now applying to her role as Senior Creative Director at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.

See It Be It is a Cannes Lions initiative that aims to achieve equal gender representation among creative directors and leaders across the global industry. In this year’s cohort, there were filmmakers, designers, strategists, illustrators, creatives… all with different struggles and advice to share.

What was the best thing about See It Be It?
Definitely the other participants. We all became really close, it’s weird that such a tight bond can form in just a week. There was almost a sisterhood vibe between us. And it doesn’t end after Cannes, we still text each other every day, we are already planning to meet up next year.

This is also true of our mentors and guest lecturers. Many of them encouraged me to reach out to them any time I have a problem, others have connected over LinkedIn and still check in to see how things are progressing. It’s incredible to have access to a network of creative leaders around the world.

How has See It Be It impacted your day-to-day now that you’re back from Cannes?
After coming back from Cannes, ‘See It Be It’ really changed how I do things every day. I’m all in on looking after our mental health at work here in Hong Kong, even though it’s kind of tough to talk about this stuff. In our industry, there’s pressure to be perfect in your role.

Now, I’m always chatting with my boss and my team about making a place where we can be honest instead of keeping stress bottled up. It’s not just about being the boss; it’s about helping myself and my team grow.

I’m trying to handle problems by staying positive, not just falling back on what I’ve done before. Amy Kunrojpanya has been amazing helping us as our mentor-at-large at See It Be It. She showed me how to make smart choices without being too tough. It’s all about setting clear goals, making real progress, and finding solutions without getting too emotional when we’re talking about serious stuff.

In the end, I don’t want people to see me as just their supervisor. I want to be the kind of teammate everyone feels they can come to for help anytime, and I can openly ask for help, too.

The See It Be It program includes a series of masterclasses. Any highlights?
I loved Marc Pritchard (Chief Brand Officer, P&G) and Debby Reiner (Founder/CEO, Futura Collective), who discussed the power of enduring relationships. I never realized they initiated the ‘Pink Brief’ for P&G markets worldwide. This brief allowed me to work with the LGBTQ community in Thailand for a P&G campaign I worked on a few years ago, which then became a guiding star for me in terms of my passion for promoting ‘EQUALITY’ in all aspects of life. I think it was the first campaign where I found my grit.

Speaking of grit, you spoke on the ‘Creatives on the Terrace’ stage at Cannes this year. How did it go?
The session was part of the ‘Changemakers’ program and it was all about the importance of grit while charting your own path. I spoke alongside Jessica Stahl, who is a Creative Director and a cartoonist (@Vanillacooldance). My message was simple: Trust your instincts. And be true to yourself – then the rest will be fine.

What did you learn from your speed mentorship sessions?
I met with three mentors for 15 minutes each. Thamakorn Ruchakityanon (ECD, Sour Bangkok) told me how she leads in her own style and makes tough decisions. Carlos Camacho (CCO, DAVID Bogotá) spoke about giving yourself a timeline: where do I want to be in two years from now, and how am I going to get there? Tom Beckman (Global CCO at Weber Shandwick) explained that the more you climb, it can feel very lonely, so surrounding yourself with the right people is one of the most important things you can do in your career – far more important than winning awards. Collectively, my mentors gave me really tangible things to work on.

Who else made an impression?
Madonna Badger – she is Chair of See It Be It, and the founder and CCO of Badger Agency. She is also behind #WomanNotObjects, a platform that raises awareness of sexist advertising and how harmful it can be to young women.

Yusra Mardini was also super inspiring. She is an Olympic swimmer and Syrian refugee, and she has become a powerful voice for forcibly displaced people worldwide. She speaks very sweetly but also powerfully – I learned a lot about different communication styles during the week.

Any advice for others who are thinking of applying next year?
I know it’s tough to be selected but you’ve got to try. If you need advice about writing your application and what the organisers are looking for, reach out to me as I would love to see more women from Asia taking part in See It Be It next year.

Find out more on the program here.