"My journey with the Loeries started back in 1999 as a junior copywriter sitting on the Super Bowl grandstand at Sun City. It was very different back then. For starters the entire show was a formal sit-down dinner, and if you were not a finalist you would spectate while the winners ate. The Loeries has since become a world-class creativity showcase thanks to the tireless, behind-the-scenes work the various committees do," said outgoing Loeries chairperson, Tseliso Rangaka, CCO at FCB Joburg and Hellocomputer, commenting on his Loeries journey in our interview as his two-year tenureship comes to a close.
Outgoing Loeries chairperson, Tseliso Rangaka.
“I joined the team and got the privilege to serve as its chairperson for three incredible years. I’ll never forget the feeling of being backstage, seeing the winners, the nervous presenters, and the impeccable clockwork that makes this event one of the best. It’s going to be hard to top that,” he continued.
Here, Rangaka goes on to tell us what he feels he brought to the Loeries, some of the lessons learned and his hope for the future of the Awards and the greater industry…
Looking back on the last two years, what do you feel your brought to the Loeries as chairperson?
Every chairperson builds on what was started before their term. I’d like to think that I helped shoulder the important work of ‘making the circle bigger’ in terms of diversity and inclusion, challenging implicit bias in the judging of work and lowering historical barriers to entry into the industry.
In our incoming chairperson interview a couple of years’ back, you referred to your relationship with the Loeries as ‘almost age peers’ and that you would draw from some of the lessons you’ve learnt over your life so far to help advance the Awards. Speaking of lessons, any new lessons you learnt during your tenure?
Yes. Lots. I have learnt that change may be uncomfortable, but it is both necessary and inevitable. Coming out better depends on how much one embraces such change. Our industry is an exceptionally difficult one and can inflict crippling personal body blows. It’s important to always have some perspective. We all should learn how to take care of ourselves as we give. When our minds, bodies and relationships are healthy, our work and industry reflect this. I’m no guru but being on the public facing end of this gig has taught me that much.
You said back then that it [ones 40s] is a time where you stop and take stock and make sure that you focus on what’s important and your mission to open up the industry. Given what’s happened since, I think the industry has certainly adopted this mentality. What is your view of the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on the industry, locally and across the region?
Lockdown and the pandemic forced us into a time-out. The effects have been devastating. But not all is bad. The unexpected consequence has been a sharper focus by the industry on people. Not just colleagues, clients and consumers but humanity. I’ve seen agencies trade profits for staff wellbeing. Campaigns driven by self-interest are giving way to work that tries to make sense of where we are. Working remotely has rendered geographical borders almost irrelevant and is opening up new possibilities for collaboration.
Do we need buildings with ten thousand lights on to make great work? Does creative culture rely on proximity? Can a client sitting in Nairobi feel just as connected to their agency team as one a few blocks away? I don’t have the answers but it’s great that we’re asking the questions.
That said, comment on your hope for the future of the Loeries specifically and the greater industry more generally speaking.I think the Loeries is well positioned to play a much bigger role in bringing creativity and commerce together. The move to Johannesburg will no doubt help with that. The more marketers we show the correlation between outstanding creative work and great business results, the better off we’ll be as an industry. There is no business of advertising without successful business.
What advice would you give to incoming chairperson, Fran Luckin?
Bring your own shoes to fill.
And what’s next for you?
Well, I’ve just started in my new role at FCB Joburg. I would like to focus on making that a good story.
And then lastly, incoming chairperson, Fran Luckin, CCO at Grey Africa, has asked which parts of the tenureship you enjoyed most.
Seeing it all come together. Creative Week is a buzz. It’s nerve wracking and exhausting but a thrill all the same. I’ve also had some great moments backstage with the various people that came and went throughout the awards evenings. Everyone, and I mean Everyone, draws a deep, staccato breath before walking on stage. You’ll love it.
