2 Minutes With … Sascha Kuntze, CCO, BBH Asia Pacific, Singapore
Having started his career in the film industry, Sascha brings a wealth of knowledge on how to create compelling narratives for brands. His time in the agency world has yielded numerous viral campaigns and awards.
We spent two minutes with Sascha to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he's admired.
Sascha, tell us …
Where you grew up, and where you live now.
I grew up in a rural town in Southern Germany. Lots of cold rain. I now live in tropical Singapore. Lots of warm rain.
How you first realized you were creative.
I was standing on the top of my own castle, drenched in blood. Ruthless enemies surrounding me. It was a hopeless situation and only a miracle could save us. In that moment, my mom called us for lunch, and we left the sand pit and went back inside.
A person you idolized creatively early on.
Master storyteller Steven Spielberg.
A moment from high school or college that changed your life.
Getting bullied lit a fire in me.
A visual artist or band/musician you admire.
A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.
TV: The White Lotus Season 2. Book: Kochen im falschen Jahrhundert by Teresa Praeauer.
Your favorite fictional character.
Be yourself. If you can't be yourself, be Batman.
Someone or something worth following in social media.
I follow the universe, which you can't follow on social media. If you want something more niche, then I also love checking @newelementary on IG, which introduces and reviews recently launched Lego sets.
One of your favorite creative projects you've ever worked on.
When I first presented this idea in a conference room full of people everybody thought I had officially lost my mind. And then it became a reality and changed how Coca-Cola thought about content marketing. Wendy Clark was the global CMO at that time and found out about it when Nestlé's CEO posted it on her Facebook wall to congratulate her. It was a tough journey to bring it to life, but it was eventually blessed by Guy Kawasaki.
A recent project you're proud of.
One of our teams just launched an insurance campaign through an original song by '90s cult band The Calling. What a way to talk about stuff that matters in a manner traditional advertising just can't.
Someone else's work that inspired you years ago.
When Argentinian beer brand Andes launched the "Teletransporter."
Someone else's work you admired lately.
I was blown away by the craft of this film by the Sotetsu Group in Japan:
Your main strength as a creative person.
Intuition. Fed by decades of experience.
Your biggest weakness.
Upholding values in an industry where those who tend to succeed don't.
One thing that always makes you happy.
My wife and three kids. The only thing that really matters besides health.
One thing that always makes you sad.
The crushing realization that our existence is not only an unlikely blip on the spectrum of chance, but also an unpredictable journey leading to certain death.
What you'd be doing if you weren't in advertising.
There are over 10 billion answers to this question. I like the one where I sit on a beach with an ice cream cone.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
