I started my career 1991 as a paste-up artist. I was 17 years old then and that used to be the lowest title anyone could get in the industry. However, I gradually learnt and got the passion to get to know about "what is Advertising”. When I was at the age of 20, people started talking about my work. I was able to provide a different flavor towards the industry. Eventually, I got the opportunity to head the creatives as ECD at Leo Burnett, later CCO at TBWA. After working with network agencies for 25 years, now I’m independent with a new creative company, Storybook. We tell stories about brands.
Is Colombo your home city? And what do you most like and dislike about life in Colombo?Yes, I was born in Colombo. Well, Colombo city is a small city compared to most other major cities in the world. Everything is accessible here in this town. What I don’t like is the terrible amount of time I have to spend on the road during busy hours because Colombo is too small and it creates traffic congestion.
Tell us a little about the area you live in.I live 6km away from Storybook and away from the noisy vehicles. Passing by a small paddy field you will come to a simple domestic area. That’s where my home is.
How would you describe the style of your home?It’s an open house. Wind blows through the house. It is covered by many trees with 5 courtyards. Sunlight won’t kiss the ground. It doesn’t look like a house to be honest.
Tell us a little about your typical working day - is it a long commute/what’s the office like etc etc. What do you spend most of the day doing - creative, meeting clients, etc etc. Do you go out for lunch..or eat in the office?We moved here to the new location a few months ago. The structure is similar to an old hospital. I like it, it owns a character. At storybook most of my time goes to creatives and we are having so much fun with it. Generally, I don’t go out for lunch because I don’t pay much attention to what I should be doing for my lunch. I do not fuss about that. I have my lunch at the office and finish within 5 minutes.
What major clients are you working on at the moment?We have a client who is the market leader for Iron business and another who is the market leader in the concentrated fruit drink business. Also, we have a bank that wants to become the market leader. Wehave a few other clients too, of course. We also have a very important client that I want to talk about, Sri Lanka’s lagerst donation goal was reported with us and that is 2 billion. "Little Hearts" is a national fundraising project to build a Cardiac and Critical Care Complex at Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital. And we work with them for free.
If you don’t have to work late, where might you head for a mid-week evening out?In that case my wife and daughter will decide what I should be doing as I give my extra time for family. So I respect whatever they decide.
Do you wear anything that has become your ‘signature’?I wear only black which is really comfortable for me.
If you were having trouble solving a creative brief, what, who or where would you turn to for inspiration?Where else to go? You need to go where you can find people and see the way they live. That’s where all your problems and solutions come from.
Can you recommend a little-known area of Colombo or Sri Lanka that we should visit?Sri Lanka is a beautiful island. So out of the top tourist attractions, I would say Ella which is located in central part of Sri Lanka & Mirissa, in the Southern coastal area.
What do you most look forward to doing at the weekends?I love to spend my time with my daughter. That's the most quality time I can get.
Which Apps, Social media or websites do you use most often…and why?I use WhatsApp for communications and surf through Facebook to really get updated about the current world.
Finally…what is the question you would have liked us to ask?Question - What is the word you hate the most?
Answer - Advertising.
