Thierry Albert is a French Director and Creative Director based in Amsterdam who writes and directs music promos, advertising campaigns and documentaries for the likes of The Pet Shop Boys, Dazed, Instagram, Duke Dumont, Format B and Uber.
A fan of strong ideas support by clever craft, we caught up with his this week to discuss his unique work ethic and globe trotting carrer.
Tell us a bit about your role! Is there a “typical” day?
I’m a Director and a Creative Director. My days are anything but typical. I would spend them either thinking about a new idea, or writing it down, or producing it, ALWAYS with a big grin on my face.
What was the biggest challenge in getting to your current position?
I was born and raised in Paris, so to be able to work globally, my biggest challenge was probably to leave the mother land, go and live in Montreal, London and now Amsterdam, and learn about the world.
What is your biggest career-related win? What is your biggest loss?
My biggest career-related win is probably TENSE, the latest music promo I shot. From the very start, the story a girl who’s being bullied and rebels was meant to be told from a phone POV, shot with phones and watched on a phone. Which sounds way simpler than it was to make. But I’m so stoked that I stood my ground and worked so hard on it. It is exactly how I imagined it.
My biggest loss was to have the ground-breaking adidas BREAST GALLERY poster that I made as an ECD with tbwa Neboko & photographer Sophie Ebrard pulled out in the UK. Because 32 grumpy people complained about it. I’ve never pushed so hard for anything else, and that’s the kind of work I want to see on the wall in the world. Work that matters and makes a difference.
Which individuals and/or agencies do you gain inspiration from?
Do you have any heroes in the industry? Mother London was my biggest inspiration when I was an agency creative. Luckily enough, I managed to go and work there. I made one of the craziest Coke ads ever with puppets singing to a bespoke track composed by a then up-and-coming Calvin Harris. Happy days.
Directing wise, Spike Jonze has always been a hero of mine. Not so much for his big scale ads, but for his work as a young director. He seems to treasure his inner child no matter how bonkers the kid is. A huge inspiration to me. And the kid in me.
If you could go back to your teenage years, would you have done things differently?
Do you have any regrets? I wish I had stuck to surfing, I’d be so good at it by now.
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
Pro-surfer or at least, a beach bum.
What’s your one big dream for the future of the industry?
My biggest dream for our industry would be a future where we are all much more hybrid versus ultra-specialised. I want to be a director who can write, direct, edit, present, sell, tweak, tease etc.
I’ve seen so many talented people being kept in one box when they had so many awesome skills. Our industry is way more traditional and adverse to change than it thinks it is. When today, we have amazing tools to play with starting with phones to shoot our work and SM platforms to show it.
What are your top tips for aspiring creative professionals?
Listen to feedback, tweak, improve, everything is WIP. Until it is not and then you HAVE to stand your ground no matter what.
What are your top tips for other creative leaders?
Listen to the quiet ones in the room, they know more than you think.
Do you have any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
The New York Times is the best website, book, resources you’ll ever need.
