The explorer
Olivier Renaud has moved from Paris to Switzerland to take on the role of Art Director at McCann Erickson Geneva.
Olivier Renaud has moved from Paris to Switzerland as the new AD at McCann Erickson Genève. Paris, oh là, là! There are certainly quite a few creative people in Switzerland for whom it would be a dream come true to work in this Mecca of advertising. For Olivier Renaud, the dream of his career has gone the other way. The new AD of McCann Erickson Genève has swapped the vibrant atmosphere of Paris for the tranquillity of the Swiss mountains. Of course, the proximity to the Alps and the inviting lakes of Lac Leman and Lac d'Annecy played an important role for the passionate snowboarder, sailor, paraglider and hiker.
Of course, the ambitious young advertiser didn't just want to be lured to Geneva by the scenery. At a rendezvous in Paris, he "accidentally" met Timo Kirez, the Chief Creative Officer of McCann Erickson Switzerland, and he made the move palatable to him.
Renaud has worked as an AD at TBWA Paris for the last five years. There he was considered a kind of protège of the well-known CD Erik Vervroegen. He meant well with Renaud's career. And that's why he sent him away. "Traveling is a way of broadening your horizons," said Vervroegen and therefore introduced Renaud to Timo Kirez. The two immediately hit it off. "We talked about our views on advertising and hit it off straight away. We have similar visions."
Kirez wants to build a new team for McCann Erickson. This should be "fresh, hungry and international". In this environment, the new AD likes the fact that, in addition to responsibility, he will also be given expertise for the first time. The cosmopolitan explorer from Paris is also attracted by the fact that at McCann Erickson he will find a team of like-minded specialists from Italy, Holland, Spain, Germany "and of course Switzerland".
He is not yet ready to judge the qualitative difference between Swiss and Parisian advertising. But he is already certain that he will find "a more creative atmosphere" here. In response to an astonished "Why?", he explains that the romantic Paris of tourists is not the everyday life of advertisers. The large budgets here do allow for generous throws.
At the same time, creative people are under so much pressure as a result of competition that fear inevitably mingles with their feelings. "That leads to aggression." He has achieved a lot in Paris thanks to this fear and aggression. "But I, and certainly all creative people, also need a bit of peace and quiet." In such an atmosphere of serenity, "you can go much further", Renaud believes as an artist's soul.
After completing his baccalaureate at business school, he was already drawn to design. With additional training in computer science, he first worked with virtual images before attending an advertising school in Roubaix. After this "école de créative en communication", he was completely enthusiastic about a career in advertising. As a graphic designer, he gained experience with various stages at agencies such as DDBO in Lille, MacCann Erickson in Paris - "even back then" - and Lowe Lintas & Partners. As an AD, he then worked for a year at Euro RSCG in Paris and finally TBWA.
Renaud has regularly won awards with his work for Chivas, Tag Heuer, Playstation 2, Absolut, Adidas and Pedigree - from Eurobest to Cannes Shortlist. He can celebrate these successes with his own champagne, as his parents are winegrowers in the Champagne region.
In his free time, he loves taking photographs, painting and building art objects. His "bonsai sculptures", as he calls them, are miniatures with all kinds of weird creatures and animals. However, there won't be an exhibition any time soon. Renaud likes to regularly give his works away to friends and "no longer owns a single original".
His passion for video is becoming more and more of a profession as well as a hobby. The AD, who loves shooting commercials, tries to recruit the best possible employees for his projects as a matter of principle and doesn't want to do the camera work himself. For the layout spot, however, he is personally in charge. He believes that he can best communicate his vision with his own images.
Andreas Panzeri
Of course, the ambitious young advertiser didn't just want to be lured to Geneva by the scenery. At a rendezvous in Paris, he "accidentally" met Timo Kirez, the Chief Creative Officer of McCann Erickson Switzerland, and he made the move palatable to him.
Renaud has worked as an AD at TBWA Paris for the last five years. There he was considered a kind of protège of the well-known CD Erik Vervroegen. He meant well with Renaud's career. And that's why he sent him away. "Traveling is a way of broadening your horizons," said Vervroegen and therefore introduced Renaud to Timo Kirez. The two immediately hit it off. "We talked about our views on advertising and hit it off straight away. We have similar visions."
Kirez wants to build a new team for McCann Erickson. This should be "fresh, hungry and international". In this environment, the new AD likes the fact that, in addition to responsibility, he will also be given expertise for the first time. The cosmopolitan explorer from Paris is also attracted by the fact that at McCann Erickson he will find a team of like-minded specialists from Italy, Holland, Spain, Germany "and of course Switzerland".
He is not yet ready to judge the qualitative difference between Swiss and Parisian advertising. But he is already certain that he will find "a more creative atmosphere" here. In response to an astonished "Why?", he explains that the romantic Paris of tourists is not the everyday life of advertisers. The large budgets here do allow for generous throws.
At the same time, creative people are under so much pressure as a result of competition that fear inevitably mingles with their feelings. "That leads to aggression." He has achieved a lot in Paris thanks to this fear and aggression. "But I, and certainly all creative people, also need a bit of peace and quiet." In such an atmosphere of serenity, "you can go much further", Renaud believes as an artist's soul.
After completing his baccalaureate at business school, he was already drawn to design. With additional training in computer science, he first worked with virtual images before attending an advertising school in Roubaix. After this "école de créative en communication", he was completely enthusiastic about a career in advertising. As a graphic designer, he gained experience with various stages at agencies such as DDBO in Lille, MacCann Erickson in Paris - "even back then" - and Lowe Lintas & Partners. As an AD, he then worked for a year at Euro RSCG in Paris and finally TBWA.
Renaud has regularly won awards with his work for Chivas, Tag Heuer, Playstation 2, Absolut, Adidas and Pedigree - from Eurobest to Cannes Shortlist. He can celebrate these successes with his own champagne, as his parents are winegrowers in the Champagne region.
In his free time, he loves taking photographs, painting and building art objects. His "bonsai sculptures", as he calls them, are miniatures with all kinds of weird creatures and animals. However, there won't be an exhibition any time soon. Renaud likes to regularly give his works away to friends and "no longer owns a single original".
His passion for video is becoming more and more of a profession as well as a hobby. The AD, who loves shooting commercials, tries to recruit the best possible employees for his projects as a matter of principle and doesn't want to do the camera work himself. For the layout spot, however, he is personally in charge. He believes that he can best communicate his vision with his own images.
Andreas Panzeri
