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by Rob Findlay
Typically seen as a city of flowing lager, sex shows, and readily accessible drugs, one would think Amsterdam offers a young designer the perfect environment in which to flourish.
But the Dutch capital has much more to offer than tourist traps and regrettable nights out. A city of two halves, the life of a local is far removed from any of the above-mentioned debauchery. Rich in culture and history, Amsterdam is a fantastic, central European location for any aspiring global design traveler.
Moving to any country from home is however a challenging and frantic experience. Packing your life up into one suitcase and moving across the world at times seemed insane. Then someone mentioned the words character building. I'm not sure what my reaction was. Still, after a matter of weeks of nervous times and hard work, we were established and had managed to secure an apartment for the year.
Having spoken to MVBMS Fuel Europe prior to leaving home and then having met with the people there, I began as a Senior Designer in their studio, overlooking the Van Gogh and Stedelijk museums here in central Amsterdam.
A division of Euro RSCG and the Havas network, MVBMS Fuel Europe (along with its sibling in New York, MVBMS Fuel North America) has an exclusive arrangement with one client, Volvo (now part of the Premier Automotive Group of Ford, its new luxury car division, also comprising of Land Rover, Aston Martin and Jaguar), producing all of its European and most of its world-wide above the line advertising.
From my experience, there are basically two camps in the industry - local agencies, with very much a Dutch work culture; and local branches of international agencies, with a more International mix of people and languages.
Fortunately for me, the office has a variety of nationalities, including Australian, New Zealand, English, American, Dutch and German. So with English being the default, the language has never been a problem (as with the rest of Amterdam - almost all Amsterdammers speak fairly good English).
The studio is around 20-strong, with half in account management, and the other in creative and TV & print production. The studio creates print ads for newspaper, magazine, other press and outdoor applications, as well as TV spots and films - all 'above-the-line' material. The material is produced and crafted, then sent to each country to interpret and implement into their markets.
Being a focal point of the European advertising and design industry, Amsterdam manages to attract some impressive talent from around the globe - for example, our own Creative Director, Lorenzo de Rita, a winner of no less than 7 Cannes Gold Lions for his work on Diesel Adidas and others.
The city itself plays an important role in tempting potential staff from across the Channel and the Atlantic, as well as Australasia. A relaxed and civilized way of life is preferred, and required here, with labour and other laws protecting the employee or individual over the employer or institution.
So what is a typical day here for us at MVBMS? Well, it could be anything involving co-coordinating film shoots in Sweden, photo shoots in the UK, sending files to Japan, designing layouts here at the desk, visiting suppliers and printers or riding around town for inspiration, of which there is plenty. Working with the art directors, copywriters, planners and production staff gives me plenty of contact with different perspectives and ideas.
Too much is made of the lack of quality in Australian design as opposed to Europe and America. Some feel it is behind, or looking overseas too much. I myself left Australia for a bigger industry experience - I doubt I'd have been able to work on a brand like Volvo back in Australia.
But I have found that the same issues affect all creative businesses, whether they are here or at home. And that Australian design is of a high quality, with none of the legacies of history to weigh it down. Something to be proud of I think.
Still, working on a brand like Volvo on a global level is a privilege (despite what we may traditionally think of Volvo drivers). There is a great wind of change sweeping through the automotive industry that demands carmakers develop more personal relationships and experiences with their customers. Volvo is trying to create and shape its own personality through a luxurious and stylized yet quirky approach, and hopefully the new campaigns will help to do so.
So, should you head overseas? Yes, but go for more than just the work. Travel around the continent as much as you can, learn as much as you can - as glamorous as it sounds, a weekend in Barcelona or London is not out of order.
Moving to another country is about learning your capabilities, not just in an office environment, but your ability to cope with the stresses of creating a new life in a foreign culture. I'm sure you'll return with much more than a better folio.
For more information, email me at info@robfindlay.net
Copyright Rob Findlay 2003
The views expressed this article are not necessarily those of AGDA. Please respect the copyright of the author.
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