2 Minutes With … Alexander Nagel and Kieve Ducharme, MPs at Serviceplan Make

Alexander Nagel is creative lead and managing partner at Serviceplan Make. Before he started his career in advertising, he worked as a 3D artist and producer for a film production company. 

Kieve Ducharme is managing partner at Serviceplan Make and COO of Serviceplan Germany. She began her career as a producer and has held posts at WPP, Publicis and Media.Monks.

We spent two minutes with Alexander and Kieve to learn more about their background, their creative inspirations and recent work they've admired.

Alexander and Kieve, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

• Alexander: I was born in Munich, raised in Freiburg and since 1999 I have lived in Munich's Haidhausen, near the House of Communication.
• Kieve: I was born in a small town outside of Montreal and lived in London for 10 years before moving to Munich in 2020.

How you first realized you were creative. 

• Alexander: By building a "flying carpet" with Lego bricks that I saw at an amusement fair.
• Kieve: Producing shows and getting friends to perform for an audience.

A person you idolized creatively early on. 

• Alexander: Dan Flavin. The power of colors, light and clarity just give me a joyful peace of mind.
• Kieve: Freddie Mercury. The power of his voice plus the creativity of his music and was mind-blowing. 

A moment from high school or college that changed your life. 

• Alexander: I was a lighting operator for an English theater group. After one of the actors became ill, I suddenly got the chance to perform Macduff on stage.
• Kieve: Realizing career choices outside of law school were available to me. I was creative, loved planning and marketing, and knew that was the way forward.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire. 

• Alexander: Pink Floyd for the music and their visual concepts.
• Kieve: David Bowie. "Starman" was my wedding song.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring. 

• Alexander: How to Build a Cathedral by Malcolm Hislop.
• Kieve: Wild with Sarah Wilson.

Your favorite fictional character. 

• Alexander: Michael Knight. We shared the same hairstyle at times.
• Kieve: Morgan the Fairy.

Someone or something worth following in social media. 

• Alexander:  Damien Robitaille. He's a Canadian doing one cover song a day solo, with his fabulous dog, or some random guests. As a piano player myself, it's a source of easy joy.
• Kieve: Young Pueblo, mediator and NYT bestselling author. Keeps me grounded.

One of your favorite creative projects you've ever worked on.

• Alexander: The magical emergence of the Austria "Solar Annual Report." This was the first Grand Prix at Cannes for Serviceplan—and for me as well. It was born out of a conversation and a naïve question: "Can sunlight make type appear and actually power the report itself?"
• Kieve: Working on the 2008 "Adidas House Party" with Partizan's Nima Nourizadeh. This is where I learned about crafted content and content at scale.

A recent project you're proud of.

• Alexander: The "Jersey Color Swap."
•  Kieve: Bringing to life Serviceplan Make by joining seven production-related companies into a powerhouse.

Someone else's work that inspired you years ago.

• Alexander: Katrin Oeding.
• Kieve: My mentor, Nadine Gray, international production hero and woman of mystery who sadly passed away in 2015.

Someone else's work you admired lately. 

• Alexander: Dirk Koy. Mixing reality with crafted motion by constructing and deconstructing.
• Kieve: Vincent Schmidlin, who perfected the power of listening and making sure everyone was seen and heard. Plus management by walking around. Sadly, Vincent passed away a year ago.

Your main strength as a creative person. 

• Alexander: Finding emotional truth in a story.
• Kieve: Bringing people together.

Your biggest weakness. 

• Alexander: I try to reduce risks.
• Kieve: Keeping in touch with friends (because of work).

One thing that always makes you happy. 

• Alexander: Cycling. Because it's moving forward by pushing the world behind you. Clears my mind so only happiness is left.
• Kieve: Swimming in the sea, followed by a long lunch with my husband.

One thing that always makes you sad. 

• Alexander: I really struggle in finding one thing.
• Kieve: knowing that not everyone has the same opportunities as I have had to see the world and meet amazing people along the way.

What you'd be doing if you weren't in advertising.

• Alexander: Ah, here is the sad thing: I really don’t know.
• Kieve: If I go by my high school yearbook, Canada's Ambassador to the United Kingdom.