The focus of this regular section is on agencies in Canada. Looking for agency business strategies and creative teams’ secret weapons? We tell all in Ad Missions.

Since becoming a creative team at the Toronto branch of TBWA Chiat/Day, co-associate creative directors Pat Pirisi and Benjamin Vendramin have undoubtedly wormed their way into the brains of a high percentage of Canadians. The two have been idea men for more than a few memorable spots and advertising campaigns. The folks at Nissan, Moosehead, Shoppers Drug Mart, Dare, Crayola and Nokia (to name a few of their clients) haven’t had too many complaints.

Vendramin (an art director) and Pirisi (a writer), now approaching their second year as partners, traveled in somewhat different circles to get where they are today.

Vendramin got his first job as an art director at J. Walter Thompson in September 1990. From there it was on to Foster McCann-Erickson and then Bozell. He also put in some time at J. Walter Thompson, New York, before returning to Toronto in late 1996 to join Taxi Advertising, and to raise a family closer to his relatives.

Pirisi cut his teeth at DDB Needham before starting a boutique agency known as Big Black Hat in the mid-’90s in the hope of being allowed more creative freedom than he had become accustomed to in corporate agency life.

‘It was a great learning experience,’ says Pirisi of his Big Black Hat experience. ‘I think I gained a greater understanding of advertising, creative aside. I was reading a lot of books on marketing, strategy and positioning, and I really started to understand the business of marketing.’

In ’95, he doffed his Big Black Hat and joined jwt in Toronto, before being lured to Chiat a couple of years later. He and Vendramin paired up and the team has been looking forward since.

‘I think Pat and I are a good example of how a good team works together,’ says Vendramin. ‘A good team is not off in their cubbyholes trying to figure it out on their own. I can get really angry at Pat because we know each other so well and trust each other so much; we are fighting one minute and then the next deciding where to go for lunch. We don’t take things personally because in the end we both know it is about producing the best work.’

Each says he feeds off the other and Vendramin believes their openness with each other and others in the agency is what keeps them on top.

‘Creativity comes in being open, but unfortunately a lot of creative people are so insecure they feel that ideas can only come from the creative department,’ observes Vendramin. ‘That is a mistake because ideas can come from anywhere. I find the most curious people are always the best creative people because they have a wealth of knowledge to draw from. The greater that reservoir, the greater the possibilities are, but also in terms of being open. If you are open and always listening, it is amazing where that idea can come from.’

Pirisi says he has noticed a trend in the past whereby the ad industry seems to be shrinking due to globalization. He also says he is tired of seeing u.s. spots that have been exhausted in the States recycled for the Canadian market.

‘We are constantly up against that, particularly when it comes to tv production,’ says Pirisi. ‘[Canadian] clients are likely to pick up work that has been done in the u.s. and run it in their marketplace. Clients no longer see the need to subsidize Canadian tv production when they feel the cultural differences between Canada and America aren’t that pronounced.’

He also sees a saturation of product in the marketplace, which inevitably prods agency types to work harder and be more creative in order to get their client’s product noticed, despite the fact it may only be marginally different than the one next to it on the shelf.

‘A unique selling proposition doesn’t exist anymore,’ says Pirisi. ‘Really, the advertising has become the brand. The brand is not the product – the advertising is the product, and clients are realizing that. It’s an exciting time. We are now taking more chances and clients are realizing the need to reinvent the wheel.’

Pirisi and Vendramin agree tv commercials coming out of Canada can compete on a global level, but they see room for improvements. Pirisi, for one, says although there are spots on Canadian tv of questionable quality, the good work coming from Canada today is much better than the good work from 10 years ago.

Vendramin says the team is constantly on the lookout for young directorial talent because of the inaccessibility of some established Canadian directors who have moved on.

‘Once a Canadian director moves on to the u.s. they start getting paid more and almost become out of reach,’ says Vendramin. ‘Because budgets are an issue in Canada, it is important to find the up-and-coming directors. There is a bit of a gamble involved because they may not have already done the work that you hope they can do, but they show signs of it.’

Vendramin and Pirisi agree idea and simplicity are key to good advertising. Vendramin hopes Canadian agencies can continue to churn out good ideas, but believes when a creative person hits a drought, the afflicted individual should re-evaluate his or her own work and not try to put blame in the wrong place.

‘There is really only a small group of people in advertising who are doing great work and it is the group who truly loves what they do,’ says Vendramin. ‘The most frustrating thing about this business is going into a creative department and listening to a bunch of whiny creatives blaming their creative director or agency for not being able to do good work. When they do that, they are giving power away. They have to wait for their creative director or agency to change in order for them to produce great work, but as soon as the creative person decides, ‘The reason I am doing shitty work is because of me,’ they are empowered.’ *

-www.tbwacd.com