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Fonk for Thoughts: Bastiaan Rijkers
Dutch creative entrepeneur Bastiaan Rijkers sees no boundaries when it comes to ideas. What are his Fonk for Thoughts?
 Bastiaan Rijkers: "Never leave well enough alone." BlogFonk: Who is Bastiaan Rijkers? Where are you from? Rijkers: I am a 32 year old creative from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Who I really am depends on the way one looks at it. An entrepeneur. A designer. An art director. A copy writer. Maybe most of all someone who likes to create new things. Self taught with my own set of rules and regulations. This means on a day to day basis that there are no boundaries when it comes to ideas and the means in which these ideas are executed. I do what it takes to get the best results in solving a problem or telling a story. BlogFonk: Do you love your work? Why (not)? Rijkers: It's what I do. It's what I can do. Loving it is not a choice but a given. I go all the way. No matter what or how long it takes. No choice. BlogFonk: What is "Lemon scented tea" all about? Rijkers: Ideas mean business. Creativity can make a brand unique and desired. Ideas work on all different levels and are not always about making a brand or company look good in the way that advertising is used to. Only with (innovative) ideas, a creative cutting edge strategy and great execution, magic can, and will happen. For brands that are forward thinking enough to work together with companies like Lemon scented tea the results will be fresh, exciting and rewarding. And it will make them $$$...  BlogFonk: Is there difference in mentality of creatives in the countries you've worked? Rijkers: Yes. But ultimately it's more about the market place than the creatives. All creatives want to make something special (and effective). But the marketplace has to allow this to happen. Selling goods by screaming its far cheaper than the competitors goods will only work short term. It's boring and empty. Everybody wants an iPod and not because it's cheap. People want it simply because it's a great idea. From product to communication and so on. It's all about ideas and what you do with them. BlogFonk: What are the latest important developments you've noticed in advertising? Rijkers: In The Netherlands none. It's mostly the same thing all over again. Few exceptions off course with some forward thinking companies. I believe in the new world, or rather in the near future, or maybe I should dare to say the world we already live in. Things are changing and communication will have to come closer to the actual lives of people, or consumers if you will. I like the new Volvo campaign for instance. The car merely facilitates a discussion between two people. And that's so much more interesting than showing yet another fancy car driving along some very beautiful but oh so boring cliffs. At least, that's what I think.  BlogFonk: Which project are you most proud of? Rijkers: It's our new client Regio Bank (ING). And you know what? A small so called "hot shop" like ours can make groundbreaking work for something as conservative as a bank. Reason why? The leading people at the Regio Bank. They believe in us and our work. They trust us and judge us fairly. It's about making a real difference. A bank is not just a bank. It's a brand that can live up to it's reputation and promise. It's our best client so far and hopefully will be with us for a long time. It's a great example how true communication can work. Good work today is not about an ad or a commercial. It's about so much more... BlogFonk: If you'd be given the chance to do something over again, what would that be? Rijkers: I did everything thinking I knew what I was doing. I guess I've made mistakes but I wouldn't change at thing. BlogFonk: Finally, what is your motto, your "Fonk for Thoughts" (inspiration to be creative)? Rijkers: In my e-mail signature I have a quote from Raymond Loewe: "Never leave well enough alone." I've always been big on quotes. This is a good one. I believe that you get what you work for. It's takes a lot of effort and is not something that stops at 6PM. It's a curse and a blessing. But hey, I'd rather be doing this than anything else! |
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posted by BlogFonk: Tuesday, March 29, 2005 [#]