Mitesh Addhate

Advertising has always fascinated me with the power that it holds in inspiring the audience in a matter of just 7 seconds. Those 7 seconds could bring a positive change in the society and start a new revolution. The amazing creativity in those ads enticed me to look more into Art Direction and I can proudly say that I have made the right choice. It feels great to create work that brings a positive change in the society and I have been lucky enough to be able to do such work. The satisfaction of being able to contribute towards making someone smile even in their struggle through the work is what excites me to be in this industry. It makes me love what I do even more after listening to people talk about the work that I was a part of.

Advertising has always fascinated me with the power that it holds in inspiring the audience in a matter of just 7 seconds. Those 7 seconds could bring a positive change in the society and start a new revolution. The amazing creativity in those ads enticed me to look more into Art Direction and I can proudly say that I have made the right choice. It feels great to create work that brings a positive change in the society and I have been lucky enough to be able to do such work. The satisfaction of being able to contribute towards making someone smile even in their struggle through the work is what excites me to be in this industry. It makes me love what I do even more after listening to people talk about the work that I was a part of.

I am a big fan of minimalism when it comes to design. I think a minimalistic design does justice to the goal of the product or brand being advertised. It allows the breathing space for the product/ brand to communicate with the audience. A design that makes the life of users easy and simple to navigate while communicating its message is the goal of every creative that works with design. It create a beautiful harmony between the design and the message which puts the audience at ease.

A good design to me is the one that justifies every elements that is present which communicates with the audience. A design that flows smoothly through different channels is what a good design to me. At the end of the day, it is all about reaching the audience in a simple yet creative way.

I am inclined towards a minimalistic design as I mentioned in the previous question. And the reason is that, a minimalistic design makes me work more harder than a normal design piece. It helps me push myself to create a piece that looks simple , creative , is thumb-stopping and sells the idea. The main characteristics of my design are to allow the brand/product to reach the users while the other elements act like a supporting characters in a play.

My design/creative process begins with reading a brief multiple times. Followed by lots of research about the brand's past communication, the work of other similar brands. Then I do a little bit of reverse advertising as I like to say - where I pick a previous advertisement and dissect it to understand each elements used in it to communicate. After that I brainstorm with my team and let the idea marinate for sometime. And finally go ahead with the idea that ticks all the boxes and answers the brief. Also, I follow my gut feelings and it always results in something amazing!

It depends on what I am trying to present. If it's a product, I try to understand what the audience is looking for and where are they looking for it. And how can I reach them with my design/ ideas to pitch it in a way that will end their search. Usually I do my research or search for inspiration online on sites like Pinterest, Behance, various social media platforms with #tags that fall under the idea to look for what the users are putting out.

The one thing I am excited about the digital design trend is that it is becoming more and more humane and expressive. It is becoming easier for the audience to understand and digest the communication. The more it is easier and simple for the user to accept the design, the more we are succeeding in our responsibilities.

I am truly grateful and honored to be awarded the 2020 Vega award. It boosts my confidence and helps me believe more in my work. It assures me that I am doing something right and helps to push myself even more. We creatives/artists are always hungry of appreciation - then may it be via awards or just a simple "good work/ I love what you did there" from the peers or mentors in the industry. To receive 2020 Vega award feels amazing and makes me want to create more such exciting work.

The current COVID-19 pandemic situation all around the world has led people to stay at home. Study shows that the number of people facing mental health illness like anxiety and depression or domestic abuse will be on the increase. So, I wanted to create a minimalistic and straight to the point approach that gives a message about the reality to the audience and ask them to speak up and share their story about their mental health. "Beautiful, until you see the struggle" is a series that captures the inner emotions within us. it highlights the importance to look beyond the obvious exterior, while empowering us to accept the imperfections. A campaign that uses the power of message to create a change in the world by empowering and inspiring people to look beyond the obvious and Simply share what they feel with other.

The biggest challenge with the project was to pick up a topic which needs our attention and create a very simple message that goes across the medium and audience no matter where they are. Another challenge was to make the audience think a little harder about the message and make them realize that the campaign is trying to say. I believe I was able to strike that balance and create the magic with the photography and communicate the message with the same intensity.

Winning an Award like the VEGA Awards helps me to push myself even more and create work that will be a part of a creative change in the world. It pushes me to work more harder and make ideas more simple and creative for the audience.

How a mere 7 second spot could bring a positive change in the society and start a new revolution. The satisfaction of being able to contribute towards making someone smile even in their tough times through our work and allow them to take charge of how/when they view the idea. Advertising industry allows me the freedom to think crazy and out of the box. I have always questioned why things work in a particular manner and have tried to break the rules or notion of the society.

As India has one of the biggest population in the world - it means more diverse thinking and more audience to satisfy. Such a diverse and competitive market can make a creative sweat or turn them into a diverse and brilliant communicator. Our industry has no boundaries and exposure to Indian Market will test creatives, which will eventually help industry to produce more good competitive work that will uplift the industry on a long run.

I believe the industry is heading towards more personal and emotional connection between the brand and the audience. A mere communication about product will not help get the product move from the shelves but rather the communication of how the mission and the vision of the brand and its product connects with the audience will help the brand survive. Our audience is looking for more than just the attributes of the product while dealing with the brand. It is about what the brand believes in and how it aligns with what the audience believe. With the influencer having a say, the audience has now started presenting themselves and behaving as the "brand ambassadors".

I want to tell the creatives that are just getting started - to believe in yourself and your work. Nobody knows everything in the beginning, we are all learning new things everyday and working on improving our skills with every work. Give yourself some time and be ready to do what it takes for one to succeed. Enjoy your journey and your life because after all we are all doing it to have a better life.

There are many resources that could help one explore and look for inspiration to improve their skills. It does depends upon what you are looking for but platforms like Pinterest, Dribble, or Instagram (to learn new ways of creative communication with audience from the stories), Adweek and Adage are the sites to keep yourself updated with what's happening in the industry. Just keep your mind open to various things and observe everything around you. Because that's were the ideas are hiding.

I don't think I have something that counts as I have never told anyone else. I am usually quiet but have nothing to hide. So can't think of anything that is worth sharing haha.

The work by legends like David Ogilvy, George Lois, Piyush Pandey inspires me a lot to do something brilliant and yet simple at the same time. Simplicity has what made their creativity speak more volume than other work in the industry. And that's what I strive to bring through my work every time. Advertising is more than art work and the words, it is the emotions that are associated with it which makes a difference between a good work and the best.

I have always believed that ' If you ever feel like you have something you can share with others'. Build a community, not a competition. I work with 'if you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together'. I have always believed in joining forces with creative and working together to build some amazing work. It helps you lean new things and how people work. After all we are all working hard to succeed and we all deserve to succeed in what we do. So just help each other as much as you can.

I believe I am going to be counted as one of the biggest names in the advertising industry in the coming years because I am crazy enough to think I can and I will. I am here to be one of the fastest growing creatives in the history of advertising. Art direction is not a work for me, it is my passion; I love what I do and that's why I doing what I love. I have always believed that we creatives hold the potential to make a big difference in the world through our creativity and work. I would like to tell myself how proud I am of the journey with all the ups and downs. Criticism and failure have always been my best friends. If you are able to handle them with patience, you will succeed in anything you do in life. And I am a living example of that. Only the crazy ones can make a difference in the world, so don't be afraid to go crazy with your thinking. There will be days when you doubt your skills or even your existence in the industry because things didn't work as you plan. But trust me it will all be better with every other attempt.