Tristan Sellen

Background

About Tristan Sellen

Let’s face it, it’s the simple things in life that matter, like seeing your work in the real world. That's why, when I saw my Captain Scarlet competition entry box in Brixton Pizza Hut I knew I’d made it. What’s more, someone was actually using it. My first live piece of work had convinced someone to do something. I loved that feeling, and I’ve been pursuing it ever since. So how, after nearly 25 years in this industry, do I still manage to convince people to do things? And get my fix of that feeling? Yep, it's by trying to keep things simple. And that’s the challenge. Once upon a time, my writer and I were working on a campaign for Microsoft’s ie4.(If you’re a millennial, Google it). The ad we presented read ‘Less sweat, more net’. Pretty snappy we thought. Then the client got hold of it and made it complicated. By the time it ran the headline was 13 words long, I can’t even remember what it said by then. I doubt the ad worked. One of my all-time favourite ads simply has two sticks of KitKat next to each other. The pause symbol. That ad worked. And with no words at all. That annoys copywriters too, which is always fun. It’s also fun trying to arrive at that simplicity, through the team, the brief, the research, the insight, the strategy, the media, the creative and yes, even the clients. These days, I now direct as much as create, I try to pass on that simplicity of thought to those I’m guiding. So that their work convinces someone to do something, too. And they’ll also get that feeling I got on Brixton High Street. So, if you’re looking for a simpleton to help your agency wade through all the complicated stuff. Or someone to help inspire your staff to produce highly creative and effective communications. Or even if you just want a Pizza Hut competition entry box, I've made it simple.