Episode 073 - Yanick Déry and the #IAMOOH Movement

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You're thinking about. The campaign with Patterson Patterson enjoys having it up in the market. Right. And I think medicine is very happy with what they've seen so far. And the they're interested in the first see the, the, the concept, that idea. And I think it's valuable for demos.

Right, right. It looks good. And that makes the rest of the market more valuable because if there's something to look at, then, you know, it's, people are going to be paying attention to things. So, and you were talking about like two. Picture of the board like that, just rolling up in your car and you know, like in, in an outdoor, typically we, we provide a, you know, a proof of performance shot where it's, I wish there was proof.

It's just like, it's a statement. Exactly. Right. Like, it's, it's not the same as like, like how I would get approved for performance shot would be, I'd be driving down the highway and like holding a digital camera, like trying to get a pic, like doing, like, driving with my elbows and like try, uh, ultimately I just got a dash cam, but like what you did, like what you have to do.

It's it's an artistic process. It's not, there's also the consideration of the typo. It's quite small for, uh, an actual billboard. If you walk by it, it's fine. If you drive by it's it's you don't really have the time to read it. Yep. So the, the main aspect of that is, okay, you have the field, you can see, you can read what you have to read, but basically the fact that.

And put it on the web. This is where it stand out. Right. So where are you going to take the time to read it? It's it's, it's more of using the. Billboard as a canvas for the online expression than it is for an outdoor, you know, for, to drive a result of when I S when I first send the, the, the layout, they told me like, oh, it's a little smaller than I am.

There's a lot of decks. And I got some feedback. I was like, I think that's fine when you print it back on the web, if it loads good. So not was my makeup. That's really interesting. And, and sometimes multiple going back to the same location multiple times to get of course the city picture of it. Yeah. Yeah.

I did like a to run and sometime for a first time I did three round. Make sure, like I got the lights and. I got very lucky you don't choose the wetter one. So what's, what's like the perfect weather. The perfect wetter was, uh, over to freezing point last week. So we set the bar kind of like it's not freezing cold.

Yeah. So that was good for that. That's really funny. That's awesome. Um, I'm thinking I might even take this, this chunk right here and splice it in, cause this is really good stuff. Um, thanks. No, it's fascinating. It's really interesting. Um, yeah, I haven't what you today, because I really think that this has a enormous potential, so.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. So what was the inspiration for the project? But actually I wanted to get something that will benefit more than just myself. So I thought about a project where I can get a lot of disability, but for other people as well. And, um, Uh, just, uh, you know, brainstorm with friends and all can do this and do that.

And finally it just like happened and, um, everything went together, uh, pretty easily without really thinking too hard. And, you know, the, the, the response was pretty good. So we started with the 12 billboard actually. That's I mean, it's almost like had you done anything without a home before. Um, I did the project with, uh, another company, uh, two years ago where, uh, we shot all the people by, uh, media space and we did some portraits, but it was all the same on a white background, very simple.

And you know, it, wasn't a little more square in term of, uh, artistic vision. If I can say that. So this one is more colorful and it's, it's really what the mood of the people they choose to call. And, you know, it's, uh, it's more creative in a sense. Got it. Cool. So usually a good place to start is just kind of like a introduction.

Oh, the dog's here. Say hello, say it's Yankee. He's a blind border Collie. He's a good boy. Can we get that please? Thank you. I'm like, who are you? And. The origin story I've been in the photography business for over 28 years. I've done a lot of, um, fashion modeling. Instead of release for a magazine advertising, stuff like that.

And recently I did more portraits, uh, corporate and some kind of a very basic stuff as well as very creative. Um, but I, I like to shoot people most, I like, uh, to shoot when, um, you know, there's authentic feel about shooting the person. It's not just about, you know, interpretation. I like to get the real things.

So, and. You know, it goes in different ways. What is it that you like about that so much, the fact that you present someone, um, and the way that I perceived that person, it's not just like a simple portraits, it's a perception of someone and it's getting the person the very, uh, feminine you're with, you know, the viewer.

So you look at the picture and you feel that, oh, I should be, you know, a friend of that person. Yeah. I, I really liked the fact that you can make almost anyone feel comfortable in the front of the lens very quickly and getting through the viewer with that. Yeah, that's really interesting. Like, especially coming on in the back of a year where we've been, you know, 80% covered up and like not seeing faces, what's like generally the reaction to the work that you do.

And, and has that changed at all over the last year? How do you, how do you see that? Uh, for sure it has changed a lot overtime, you know, where, uh, we're in an era where everything has to be quick. Uh, there's no, like. People will call you a month in advance and prepare. And it's just very, very quick. And we're used to trying to like update every single day, which is, you know, just think about fashion.

There were seasons before now. It's like the look of the day. It's not those seasons. So, um, I really liked the fact that, you know, we, we can. Translate that old way of doing things in a new way of doing things. And that's, that's pretty much what I'm doing with the billboard story as well, because I'm taking the billboard outside in, um, in a, in a sense where I shoot the billboard to present it on the web.

So it's, um, Carla, where I look at how fashion and photography as being very quick. And we're doing the same with billboards. It's all site. We shouldn't, we present it on the web. So we reach different kinds of people with dots. And it's cool what you're doing and I'm going to bring it up on the screen here in just a second.

Uh, the project's called I M O H and we're, we're going to bring it up on the screen here. We've got a Mr. Yanik. With us. And, uh, I swear I totally have it up. Oh, there it is. Okay. Someday, someday we'll have like a real studio with a producer. I'll be like Joe Rogan. Like Jamie, pull that up for me and, uh, replay this video.

And I hopefully I've got the music, uh, uh, the audio level set. Definitely encourage everybody to check this out, maybe on it, if you want to add some commentary and kind of talk us through some of what's going on and as it makes sense. But in this video, I want it to present where, uh, everything happened, where it start.

It's Montreal. It's not a small city. Uh, there's a lot of people there and I wanted to show how big this can be. It's um, it's a very challenging process in the sense where, um, all the visual are in the same. Um, Same look, same feel. So we have different brands. We have like, uh, alcohol, we have people, we have, uh, places and it's all presented in the same way.

So. I wanted to do, create an impact. And for that, we need a lot of, you know, billboards. You cannot just buy one and hope that people will see it. I might've, I might've lied. I said that I never edit the shows. I might go back and just re loop that part over and over again. You can't just buy one. You've got, you've got 12 in the market.

Yeah. I want it to start with something that is, you know, impactful. So it's. No, it was, my goal was to start with 10 and we got 12. So I'm very happy with that. And so we can understand the concept with 12 when you can understand that, oh, okay. It's different brand. It looks the same. There's something. So now we can start talking about it and you know, if I have like one or two space, you know, it's nice.

It's better than nothing, but it doesn't tell what is the concept? Right. And that's the power of, out of home is to tell a story, like an immersive story that we're, we're the main character in, right. Like shout out to Patterson out to her and, uh, in Canada, uh, you know, some great locations there. What have you seen in terms of like the hashtag are you seeing engagement take place on mine, around the campaign?

Where are you getting like the social feedback? Uh, so far it's hard to tell about the. Uh, it's just the beginning. I'm open to raise some more. Uh, I wish I could have like a big impact with 12, but I, you know, honestly know that is very little, uh, we've covered up a lot of McDonald's ads, but there's still a lot of them there.

So, so before to, to create a real impact with the Ash guy, I am H uh, I think it's gonna take some time, but, uh, pretty soon I'm very confident. Yeah, I'm, I'm confident in it too. Um, we've done some experiments, uh, in and around like the social listening of outdoor campaigns. And, and I think as this is up in the market and you get more of that frequency and people are starting to realize like, oh, I'm supposed to do something now I'm supposed to engage with that.

Hashtag when did the campaign go? Uh, that was last week. Oh gosh. It's still it's it's too early to call it. That's so awesome. It looks beautiful. I'm sorry to see stuff so much snow. I'm not sure when this will be consumed by the world, but there's lots of snow on the ground in that video. Montreal is a beautiful city and go there.

Yeah. Now, so what, what's your, what do you hope to be the outcome of the camp? Well, I would like to shoot on a regular basis, uh, for, for that concept and starting in Montreal. And it's a, it's a great way to start. There's a big potential and great market here, but, uh, I'm open to, to shoot that, not like anywhere.

And the thing is that if I'm chewing product or, you know, anything that is still, uh, can shoot it to here in Montreal and some images and get someone, uh, locally to shoot the billboard. So. Well, if there's one thing that we know is that, uh, you know, out-of-home is certainly going through a revival and a Renaissance, uh, if you will, right.

A long overdue one. And, uh, and one that was set back a year, but we're excited to see that take place. And, uh, you know, hopefully this is something that the industry can get behind because it one it's, it's a beautiful campaign. Did you know, everything you're welcome. The production is all excellent. And like out-of-home needs more stories like that.

Like what got you into, why did you choose out of home? Like what, what was so compelling about the medium? I don't know. There is something I'm actually, one of my first advertising campaign I did was in 1992 and it went on billboard. And then I did a campaign, uh, probably in 95 on billboards for the city of Montreal.

I don't know, there are some things serious about that. It's big, it's real, it's paper, it's printed. And the fact that, you know, there's not that many magazine left on the markets. And I was looking for a place where I can, you know, print my pictures and I, I find I can use the billboard. As an editorial medium.

So it's kind of between advertising and freedom of a magazine that I add in the best. So there is something there about the paper that I really liked. Uh, and, and I agree as somebody with stacks of books everywhere, I like, I liked to touch it. And I was having this conversation with a colleague the other day around, like, I don't know that the creative community has been, you know, fully given the keys to add a home.

I feel like there's a whole untapped opportunity. Um, amongst CRE creatives to take advantage of at a home. Do you see more folks being drawn to out of home because of that? Or do you think that there's something that we could do to maybe trigger that process to happen? Hm. I don't know what to say on that.

Just to bring back your previous question. The other thing that really inspired me about the billboards. Um, I, I did the road trip, uh, two years ago, uh, to 2019 with my son was 15. So I did the, all the old route 66 on my motorcycle and there's tons of billboards and I have to admit most of them look like.

So I was like why? And in Montreal, the web, that debate where, you know, people want to bring down the billboard in some area because it looks crap. So. Advertiser thing that, oh, we should put the brand forward. We should, you know, brand the brand, the brand, but they don't really think about who's looking at the brand.

Who's looking at the message and in a sense of aesthetic, they don't want to please people they want to sell and that's their job. This is normal. I understand why I wanted to create something. I did the more, uh, engaging you look at this and you want to know what it is and you feel that you can be part of it as well.

So this is the kind of reflection I got about this. Yeah, it's, it's, it's something that definitely, um, out-of-home has this superpower and it's that, and it's, you know, sometimes a debate inside of, out of home of, you know, shifting to more digital screens because it's easier to buy and, you know, big brands, like the flexibility of being able to do that.

But it's, it's the static, it's the, it's the print stuff that makes the screens so valuable. Right. If everything was just a screen would stop paying attention to everything. Yeah, but the first, the first part of the project I did, uh, last year, it was, um, um, digital billboards. And it doesn't translate.

Let's say that it's different. It's a different effect, right? It has its place in the may. Sure. Yeah, no, no, no. And that's, I mean, that's honest to hear and that's ultimately like out of home as an industry is in pursuit of that right. Solving for your goal, right? Your goal was just to create like a visceral, like emotional response, something that I can actually like attach to in the real world, in this digitized landscape where we're all burnt out from, you know, looking at screens all day, um, To, to create something in the real world.

And I think that that's really important. And especially now what's next for the project. I don't know. We'll see, I'm looking for, uh, other opportunities, uh, the ideas there, but at the same time, I'm open to other ideas that can, you know, bring that project to another. I think that there's definitely some collaboration opportunities here.

We're going to have to talk her talk a little bit more offline. I'm I'm excited to get to that. Uh, first for folks that are interested in checking out the project, I am O h.com. Is there any, any place else that they should be going to keep an eye on things? Well, see, that's it. Some hashtags on Twitter, definitely encourage you to check out the, uh, the video.

We'll make sure to link to that in the show notes below, uh, Yana. W w we like to ask guests a few questions here. Are you down for a couple? A couple of questions. Sure. Cool. What is the thing you are most excited about in 2021? The future? I think that, um, We're in the crisis moment. And I think from all that thing that happened very good thing will come out.

I think people will be closer together to help each other. And I think it's going to be very creative in terms of evergreen. Yeah. Yeah. I I'm down for that too. And those are all really good things. Are you a podcast guy? Are you a reader? Where do you go for inspiration? Motivation? Um, I will say I have good friends.

Good inspiration about, you know, deep sense of helping others and yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm a web guy. I'm spending a lot of time on the web. Like most of the people, but that's funny. Cause that project looked like a social media thing and I'm very poor with my Instagram account. Like hard time to manage that.

It's, it's not my thing, but I think the look so, you know, I'm getting inspired by that. I dig it. I dig it. Maybe we'll maybe there's somebody that can help, help you out with this Instagram, reach out if they want to get in touch, how should they get in touch with you directly? Um, my website.com or I am h.com.

Awesome. It's been a lot of fun.

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