Khalid Latif is the Associate Creative Director of Publicis Life Brands Resolute (PLBR) in London. A copywriter by trade, he joined three years ago and was part of the agency’s creative resurgence.

After completing his degree in medical biochemistry, Khalid started writing for money 13 years ago at Thomson Reuters. He has since created and procrastinated at some of the biggest names in the industry, including Grey Healthcare and DDB Remedy.

AH: Please tell us a bit about PLBR

KL: PLBR is part of Publicis…this huge network made up of a billion pieces. Our agency is a very successful part of it. The thing I love the most though is the talent. Everyone is brilliant and we’re all in the business of creating these amazing worlds that brands can live and grow in.

AH: Please tell us about a piece of recent work that you are proud of?

KL: We came second in the Big Bus Challenge with our ad for The Passage. Actually, we were the only health and wellness agency to be shortlisted, let alone reach the final. Pretty good going!

I’m most proud of the interactive stroke experience we developed. Doctors obviously know what a stroke is, but it’s almost impossible for them to know what it’s like to have one, let alone how profoundly it can affect the lives of everyone around the victim. We sought to change that through a powerful, completely immersive film.
I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

AH: Are there any projects you are working on that we should keep an eye out for in the coming months?

KL: There’s so much great work going through the agency at the moment. I can’t say anything specific, but we’re aiming high.

AH: Where do you look for inspiration?

KL: Dreams. I have some bizarre dreams! And books, the internet, garden sheds. All the usual places.

AH: Do you think we sometimes use regulation as an excuse to make work that doesn’t live up to standard consumer advertising?

KL: Well we don’t do that here. Our aim is to create work that goes way beyond traditional advertising. And we certainly want to be better than just standard consumer advertising. So much of it is rubbish.

Regulations? Well, they’re there whether we like it or not so we’ve got to live with them. In fact, the more you know about them, the more you can exploit them to your advantage. Our job is to try and break things anyway, including the rules. It’s all part of the fun!

AH: What is the single change you’d like to see in the industry this year?

KL: I’d love to see an influx of new talent. We’ve already discovered some promising people though The Lab initiative we started this year (www.publicislab.com). You can read their blogs at publicislifebrandsresolute.wordpress.com

AH: Do you look at other healthcare agencies around the world? Who do you think is making the best work at the moment?

KL: I do. Anyone who says they don’t is telling porkies. I think there are loads of agencies doing great work. It’s so heartening to see that from so-called healthcare agencies. Plus it keeps everyone in our agency motivated. Who doesn’t want to be seen to be doing the best work?

WAH: hat is the best piece of work you’ve seen this year?

KL: Not sure if it’s the best work I’ve seen this year, but I liked the Three campaign ‘We’re sorry’ by Wieden & Kennedy London. They’ve turned something generally irritating to the brand’s advantage. It advertised the benefit perfectly. Hell, it worked on me! I’m such a sucker.

AH: How do you compare the quality of creative work in healthcare Advertising vs Consumer advertising?

KL: It’s difficult to compare the two. Both are very different beasts. In terms of pure creativity, sure, good consumer advertising wins hands down. Looking at Cannes Health, they even beat us at our own game. The perception is that they tend to have more freedom, more time to crack the briefs, bigger teams and even bigger budgets. Or maybe they’re just better. If anyone disagrees, feel free to shoot me down!

Things are changing though. There’s some great work coming out of healthcare shops these days. Traditional consumer guys are noticing and wall between us is starting to come down. Some realise they can do brilliant, career-defining work that, at the same time, could actually help people.
More of these people coming in will definitely shake things up.

AH: Who do you look up to and why?

KL: I look up to people who’ve had inconceivable life experiences they’ve then committed to the pages of a book. Khaled Hosseini is one, and not just because his name is very similar to mine.

Plus I’m a writer so I’d like to think there’s a book in me somewhere.

AH: What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the industry?

KL: If you’re a creative, be interested in health and wellness. Be accurate, articulate and confident. And persistent. If you want to join the best agencies, you’ll definitely need a diverse, solid portfolio of ideas. If you haven’t got a portfolio, you’ve got to build one.

Once you’re in, I’d suggest mastering the art of presenting your creative ideas. A passionate and articulate creative presentation is so much better than one that’s just bumbled through.
Which reminds me, presenting your idea, and its potential, is almost as important as the idea itself. If it’s not bought, it dies. No matter how good it is.

AH: Did you see the Advertising Health World Top 10 how did it feel to see Publicis featured so highly?

KL: I was really proud to see us up there. We must be doing something right!

AH: Thanks!

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