Interview with Niku Banaie of Naked

2. Tell us about the last creative project you were personally proud of.

To be honest the project I’m most proud of is being part of growing Naked – the most creatively challenging thing I’ve embarked on! When it comes to our thinking and output there is one recent initiative that has involved many people and is very of the moment as it taps straight into cultural changes were facing at the moment. This September sees the launch of a revolutionary mobile device from Nokia which will spearhead a mobile video movement-The N93. It’s a great piece of equipment as it allows users to capture moments with the clarity of digital camcorders. We’ve all witnessed the rise of user generated content and mobile-journalism, and with an N93 we will see the quality of user content increase massively! One of the campaign elements which we conceived is the Nokia Nseries studio. The site which was built by R/GA hosts a wide collection of videos shot on an N93 by creative luminaries around the world, most notably Gary Oldman (who also appears in an ad developed by Lowe). I was lucky enough to be invited to contribute to the project along with some people who I really respect including Simon Taylor from Tomato.

3. What did you draw upon to inspire you for this project?

My brief was to capture on an N93 the concept of ‘passing the time’. This got me thinking about the things I do when I’m waiting at the bus stop from daydreaming to over hearing conversations. The conversation that I found most enlightening and funny were over heard conversations between girls. So I drew inspiration from everyday gassing and gossiping between girls.

4. Why did you use these inspirations? What human emotions do they play upon that you felt necessary for this project?

I think were all intrigued by what the opposite sex talk to each other about, from what they think of their partners, their love life, how they look – its a very common and everyday occurrence but one that you rarely get access to. I simply tapped into bits that I had over heard and then used the N93 to spontaneously capture a way to express this thought.

5. In your day-to-day work – how often do you feel inspired? Is it important to be inspired?

In my role I have to make sure that not only am I inspired but that the guys at Naked are inspired also. I think its some kind of inspiration circle – I’ll have a conversation with one of the Naked posse who will spark something in my head and then ill action on it which then hopefully sparks someone else in our space and so on. Without inspiration creativity wouldn’t exist and without creativity we wouldn’t be able to solve client problems. The people at Naked make it an inspiring place to spend time.

6. How do you kick start your off-days: How do you find inspiration?

With a tongue scrape and a Philips sonic tooth brush. I’m not 100% sure how I find it as it occurs in so many ways from when I’m walking down the street, having a conversation, keeping my eyes and ears open, drawing upon past experiences and so on. To force inspiration is not a good thing. For me I simply try to keep things fresh, try to expose myself to interesting people and places as often as I can. If you get it, great. if you don’t, don’t be too hassled. It’s about learning what works for you best.

Thank you

Related: Interview With Niku Banaie, July 05

Naked Communications