Photo from personal archive.
The master’s degree has implemented more than 100 projects in different countries.
— Alexander, tell us how your experience in several international projects influenced your approach to design.
“Each project, whether for Visa, Bacardi or Google, required taking into account the unique needs and expectations of the target audience. This experience taught me to be flexible and find a balance between creativity and functionality.
—What project do you consider most impactful and risky?
— Project for the Nipples Racing Team. The studio developed a provocative identity for this team. Nipples Racing Team is a community of professionals for whom motorsport is a way of life, driving and pleasure. My aim was to reflect in the identity the Nipples Racing Team’s playful approach to motorsport, driving pleasure and passion for cars, avoiding stereotypes. Everything in this design was daring; in sports teams it was not like that: the solution was “on the edge of the abyss”, from the visual to the slogan. Daring, sexy, ambiguous. The slogan was discussed for a long time, opinions varied: from total delight to rejection, but good creativity should evoke emotions.
—How did a boy from a small town and a family of doctors become an international designer?
— I was born and raised in Tuapse, a small town on the Black Sea coast in Russia. My love for graphic design interestingly enough began with my passion for music. As a child, I attended guitar classes at a music school and in the evenings I listened to records from my parents’ collection and redrew album covers of various artists. Later, while playing in an indie rock band, I met a small team of artists and programmers who created video art. We collaborated and I composed 8-bit music for their videos.
I was always interested in creativity, but my parents, both doctors, were quite conservative. I listened to them and chose a technical university, studying laser manufacturing. At first I loved it and during my studies I worked for a small newspaper, doing layout, technical design and learning the basics of design. After two years, I realized that I didn’t like my future profession.
I chose a different university, studying economics part-time, so that I could have more time for graphic design. I managed to get a job at an advertising agency through a competitive process, and when I started making decent money through design, I knew that this was the path for me. After graduating from the University of Economics, I immediately entered the British College of Design.
Photo from personal archive.
—What projects have become the most meaningful to you?
— One such project for me was the Visa Shopping Festival integrated communication campaign. I am also proud of my work on projects for Peugeot, where we launched the new Partner Crossway, and the EURO2020 project for Heineken, as well as the Skolkovo Park website.
Google Project Karenina. Live Edition was one of a kind, combining elements of classical literature and modern design.
For Lexus, I created campaigns that emphasized the brand’s luxury and innovation.
These projects have won design and marketing awards. Yes, Karenina. Live Edition received the Silver Mercury 2015 (“Silver Mercury 2015”), Bronze Award in the Experiential Marketing category for an outstanding marketing solution.
The Karenina. Live Edition project became a world record holder, bringing together more than 700 participants from 22 cities around the world, including 400 famous public figures. The marathon lasted 30 hours and was broadcast live on Google+ and YouTube, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest audience in the category of a live-streamed literary marathon.
Lexus’ integrated campaign was recognized as the best, demonstrating high efficiency and creativity and received the 2018 Silver Mercury – Gold Award in the Integrated Campaign category.
Skolkovo Park website received two notable awards: Skolkovo Park website received the “Site of the Day” award at FWA-2021 for its cutting-edge innovation in digital design and development and the Tagline Awards 2021 – Gold Award for “Best Real Estate Website”.
—Your work experience at Proximity, BBDO Moscow and Action Moscow is impressive. What projects did you implement there?
— At Proximity I worked as a creative director and led the creative team, working on many interesting projects such as Google, VW, Heineken, Peugeot and Bacardi. At BBDO Moscow I held the position of Senior Art Director and launched campaigns for Martini and Dewar’s, which received several international awards, for which my project for Dewar’s was recognized for the best point-of-sale installations, demonstrating outstanding achievements in POSM and internal communications, receiving a Grand Prix at the Popai Russia Awards 2019. At Action Moscow I worked as an art director and participated in projects for Coca-Cola, Lexus and Google, including the online marathon “Karenina. Live Edition”.
— As far as we know, you have won awards such as Pentawards, Effie, Silver Mercury, Tagline. Is there any project that you consider especially valuable to you?
— Yes, this is probably the “Dino Ice” project. This is all about my inner child, who I allowed to play with form and content. I decided to offer dinosaur-shaped ice cream, like frozen in ice or amber. A frozen candy on the outside and a prehistoric dinosaur on the inside – this combination sparked the interest and delight of children and adults alike. I used recycled sticks and a special popsicle mould which added an eco-friendly touch and appeal. I was able to show how creativity and attention to detail can be combined in a product that brings joy to people. The project under my leadership, Dino Ice, received recognition at the 2016 Pentawards (Silver Award) for its innovative ice cream packaging design.
Photo from personal archive.
— Did refereeing help you in your job or distract you from it?
— Refereeing is an important part of my work and development. I was a member of the jury at the White Square festival, where I evaluated the work of colleagues from different countries. I also participated as a judge in the HSE Design competition, which allowed me to keep abreast of current trends and evaluate new approaches in design.
— Is it difficult to evaluate other people’s projects?
— It is always easier to evaluate from the outside. An objective view of your own projects is more difficult.
—But does inspiration sometimes run out? Have you ever had periods of depression and how did you deal with them?
– Of course, I would like to highlight my family here, who supported me in the most difficult times. My wife, Suzanne, deserves special thanks; we have been with her for 13 years and I have traveled my entire professional career with her. Her ability to listen, sympathize and encourage in times of crisis helped me not to lose faith in myself. Travel and extreme sports also give me energy.
— Alexander, your career is an example of how passion for your work can lead to international recognition and success. Are there any principles that help you develop further?
— For me, I formulated three methods. Finding a super team means surrounding yourself with talented and motivated people who you can not only work with, but also learn from each other. Doing something you have no prior experience with helps you push beyond your comfort level. Taking on unpaid projects is a great way to experiment and try out new ideas without pressure, which often leads to unexpected and innovative results.
