#BehindtheSelfie with... Nicole Solarsh Glickman

Glickman and twins.

1. Where do you live, work and play?

I wish I lived in La La Land, it often feels like I live in the Twilight Zone, but I actually live in Morningside. And I work and play at House of Brave. Yes… work and play. Because if you’re not having fun doing what you do, you shouldn’t be doing it.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

My 15-year-old, extremely talented and fabulous twins. What I have learned from them is priceless.

3. Describe your career so far.

It’s been an adventure. And it’s been exciting. I’ve had the honour of working alongside some ad gurus like Graham Warsop, Felix Kessel, Veejay Archary and Mike Ellman-Brown and I’ve been the recipient of local and global awards, from Gold Loeries to Cannes finalists. As I’ve made my way through the doors of various agencies, and sipped their coffee blends, I have learned more about myself, gained insight into the kind of agency culture and environment I best thrive in; and have become wiser in choosing where I want to work, and from whom I want to learn. I’ve also come to realise that as much as we may all love awards, it’s often far more rewarding and fulfilling when clients demand that you work on their business and you experience the success of a real campaign, than is receiving a piece of metal.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Laughing, skinny vanilla lattes, and watching my kids perform on stage. I love words. I love ideas. I love playing with them, scrambling them up and then rearranging them once more, until they tell the very best story.

5. What do you love about your industry?

What’s not to love about advertising? It’s like being on a never-ending course of learning. Not just about new brands, products, media and thinking but also about people – their lives, their struggles, their triumphs, their dreams, their headspace. And when we produce a piece of creative, in one form or another, we get to connect with those people and be a part of their lives, for however brief they may choose to engage with that bit of communication.

#MandelaMonth: Big, brave and true storytelling

Leigh Andrews  12 Jul 2016

At some point, every South African has read the copy on their Stoney Ginger Beer can, skimmed their eye across a Telkom account insert, spotted an ad for the Absa Cape Epic or seen a post for Children of Fire… and for that tiny moment, a little bit of me became a part of their lives.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Coffee, chaos, chuckle, calm. Repeat.

7. What are the tools of your trade?

Constantly remembering that everyone has an opinion… and that’s all it is, an opinion. Also that at the end of the day, this is just advertising. A burger ad does not hold the solution to world peace.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

House of Brave. Or Home of Brave, as I like to call it, which is why I chose to work here. Big ideas are paramount. Creativity always comes first. But we are a modern family and we never lose sight of traditional values and the power of strong client relationships. Having previously worked with Vanessa Pearson, I wanted to work with her again.

[Cannes Lions 2014] South African radio success in Cannes Lions

Hando Sinisalu, Best Marketing International  19 Jun 2014

She’s a creative genius and inspiration, with a wealth of insight, knowledge and passion to share. She also just happens to know how to get the best out of me, and the other creatives she nurtures.

9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.

I think the advent of the internet, and its continuous evolution of speed, has completely transformed our industry. There is no longer a respect for the time it takes for well-crafted quality work to be thought through and produced. Clients are expecting things quicker and cheaper. And if their incumbent agency requires more time to deliver, they’ll happily find another, be it locally or abroad. The increased access to previously specialist tools has made everyone a filmmaker, editor, muso, writer and designer in their own right. But the ‘cheap and nasty’ does not add value to a brand, it destroys it. And our industry has a long road ahead in educating our clients on such.

10. What are you working on right now?

Myself (smiley face, wink, wink, nudge, nudge)… not sure our clients would appreciate you knowing about their campaigns.

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Some new ones are: engage (rather than involve), user experience (versus website), viral (a digital outbreak), millennials (they don’t make them like they used to), geo-tag (X marks the spot). And then there are those that have truly stood the test of time, like: “What time does the bar open?” (even if you don’t drink); “I think we can push it” (to where?); “I want something wow!” (I thought you’d prefer something average); and WTF! (It never outdates).

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

When I go for a run, scrolling through Facebook or joking around with my very close friend, Stefanus Nel.

13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?

I do great character voices and sound effects. I performed at the Market Theatre with Robert Whitehead and Dawid Minnaar in Claire Stopford’s production, Hysteria.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

A wannabe technophile. I love learning about new technology and get extremely excited about it... until it comes down to doing it on my own devices and I lose everything.

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

My kids, my kids and more of my kids. My pets, a bunch of memes and jewels of inspiration. Oh, and great music.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

There’s nothing glamorous about advertising. It’s damn hard work, but when you get it right, there’s no better feeling. Never stop learning. Never stop being hungry to learn. The internet cannot teach you life. It cannot teach you experiences, how to form relationships or instill trust with clients. It cannot teach you how to cast your voice-overs or direct them. So grab every real-life opportunity you have to be in studio, in meetings, at a shoot, or in the edit suite. Yes, there is a lot of ‘watching paint dry’, but that’s where the magic happens. And that’s when you learn the most.

Simple as that. Click here for more on Glickman and be sure to follow House of Brave on the following social media channels: Twitter | Facebook

*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.