Don’t skip just yet — this is not an ad! Netflix spoiler billboards: a solution to keep all the Covidiots at home. This concept became a global sensation overnight, shared on Forbes, Twitter & such ... but did you know it was the brainchild of Thai creatives? Here, Seine shares an episode of her life with us.
|| How It All Began ||
• What did you study?
Communication Design at Chulalongkorn University. After working in Bangkok for around a year, I pursued the Art Direction Portfolio Program at the Miami Ad School in Germany.
• How did you discover your passion for advertising?
A lot of trial and error. I discovered my passion in fragments. With every new experience, I discovered something new about myself. These fragments of self-discovery gave me direction and the ability to slowly piece everything together.
• Walk us through your journey to becoming an art director.
It started with my love for sound. However, I gradually formed an interest in visuals too … the fusion of sound and visuals inevitably led me to film.
My first job was an assistant director at a production house. I quickly realized it wasn’t the right role for me because it involved a lot of people management and you had to constantly stay on your toes.
For every production, I spotted an advertising agency team on set and had a eureka moment; I wanted to devise creative concepts and ideas, not execute the practical work. Upon this little revelation, I applied to become an art director at Dentsu, a Japanese advertising agency.
• Why are you so passionate about advertising?
People spend hours on end consuming media and are constantly bombarded by information. It’s incredible how the media can influence how and what we think. Creativity has the power to shift perspectives, start new conversations and reignite old ones, all in a positive way. That’s why I love my job — we work on things that empower people and create change. Real change.
|| The Netflix Spoiler Billboard Girl ||
• You make it look so easy to move to a foreign country. How did you make the move to Berlin?
Honestly, it wasn’t spontaneous or moviesque at all. I didn’t just pack up my bags and go! It took a lot of thoughtful planning.
I’ve always dreamt about living abroad so I researched countries where I could easily find a job after graduating. Voilà, I found Germany! Compared to other countries, Germany gives fresh graduates a very long time to find a job in the country. From uncovering this fact, I worked backwards to find a graduate school there.
• How did the ‘Spoiler Billboard’ idea go viral?
I shared the idea in Ads of the World, an advertising archive and a reporter from Forbes magazine picked it up. She DM’ed us on Instagram but I thought it was a hoax! [laughs]
Eventually, I realized she was the real deal so we did an interview together. Once Forbes published the article, everything went wild — that was the trigger. I believe the timing was important too. The whole world was going into a full lockdown so it was incredibly relevant and relatable for many people.
• What’s the best campaign you’ve seen?
The “Go Back to Africa” campaign! It was designed to combat racism by flipping the racist slur and highlighting Africa’s natural beauty.
|| Up Close & Personal ||
• You’re pretty vocal about multiple social causes, with good reason. What fuels you?
I think I live in a place where everyone cares deeply about these matters. My girlfriend doesn’t wear any fast fashion and only supports sustainable brands. Most restaurants offer vegan-friendly options. #BlackLivesMatter is a part of daily conversations. Even in class, when someone makes an insensitive comment like:
“She’s pretty but she’s a transgender.”
They’re immediately corrected by another student:
“You shouldn't say ‘but’. You should say ‘She’s pretty AND she’s a transgender.”
Everyone treats inequality as a problem we need to solve together.
• One of your IG captions was “Love to confuse people with my gender.” Tell us more.
When I worked at a production house, I met people from all walks of life. I was bombarded by rude, degrading comments about the way I looked, such as:
“What the f*** is your gender?”
“If you can’t even figure out your own gender, you’ll never achieve anything in life.”
I don't think I have to justify my gender to anyone. Where I’m at now proves those people wrong, so that caption was just a reflection of my little victory moment. [laughs]
• What’s one of the best pieces of advice you’ve received?
Be proud of yourself, your roots and express your most authentic self. I don’t have an idol, I’m focused on becoming the best version of myself.
• In your own words, what is love?
Love is when you prioritise something or pay attention to it more than other things in your life but it doesn’t mean you have to commit to it. You just know that you love it and can leave it as it is.
• Any final words?
Don’t stress out about finding your passion — not everyone needs to have one. More than anything, I think we’re all essentially chasing for happiness, and having ‘one true passion’ doesn't guarantee it. Having one passion is overrated — have multiple passions, keep exploring and enjoy the journey.