An interview with Special

The Semi Permanent creative conference happens over two days - Friday 18th and Saturday 19th of May. Are you coming? If you haven't been to one before, do yourself a favour and please get tickets. Listening to insanely inspirational and successful creatives share their best work and personal projects will fill your cup like nothing else could do.

New Zealand always-winning-international-creative-awards agency Special are amongst the wicked line-up of speakers this year, and I had a chance to ask Heath Lowe - the CD, Design - a few questions...

What's great about working in New Zealand and with New Zealand clients? 

Small budgets + short timelines = clever solutions.   

What has been your favourite project recently? 

Probably FOUR, because it was a perfect team effort. From strategic planning through identity design and on to a launch of the channel and subsequent campaigns, we've had to exercise all of our skills to create a unified brand expression. And it was all to create an entertaining TV experience. So It's been fun.   

How do you convince clients to let go and let you get on with what you do well? 

We convince them it's not a risk. Everything is for a reason. And all those reasons will add up to a tangible and (usually) measurable outcome.

What keeps you inspired and motivated? 

Honestly, just the work itself. We take each brief seriously, and make sure to make the most of it, because you never know which brief is going to blow up into something amazing. They all have the potential.   

Recommend something excellent for us to read, do or watch… 

Read: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (if you like 80s music reference).   

Ride: The 42nd Traverse (if you're into mountain biking).   

Watch: Slogan with Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin (if you'd like to see how tres chic art directors are supposed to be).

What can we expect from your Semi Permanent talk? 

We realise it's easy for everyone to see everything about anyone on the world wide web. So we are trying to put together some things you haven't seen before. Wish us luck!