Firas Mghames, Managing Director at Feer McQueen and CEO at Flag M Group, Lebanon, talks about hybrid models and integration in light of the successful experience his agency has been enjoying in the regional advertising landscape.
When we talk about hybrid models and integration, it’s not just about the agency’s structure being hybrid and offering integrated services from across the board. Breaking it down, it’s actually about the people who make the magic happen. Those people, the experts behind the creative spark clients want and need, should be an amalgamation of talent, knowledge, readiness, and above all else, flexibility – “Da Vincis”, if you may.
Naturally, those people should be hybrid, with 360° perspectives, never-ending talent, holistic understanding, and multi-disciplinary skills. We are the product, we are the machines, we are the manufacturers. The future is all about mastering crossbred skills and hybridizing the work force so that new capacities emerge, just like Leonardo da Vinci did during his time. He was a pioneer Hybrid Creative, and that is exactly why he is still revered today.
A Hybrid Creative is a person who is able to fuse together his or her talents, be fluid among disciplines, hone fast communication skills, and constantly learn novel things, keeping up with everything brand new. As a Hybrid Creative, you need to know a little bit about everything. It is essential to be multi-lingual, in the sense of speaking various languages when it comes to techniques, styles, and disciplines – even between departments and other specialties.
Work is now more challenging than ever before, whether within an agency or as a solo pilot. There’s always one main aim at the heart of every brand: that their name stands out among others. Clients have seen so much, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out among the crowd and impress them. The Hybrid Creative attitude is the answer to this call! Staying in creation mode and being hybrid in terms of style within one’s own discipline is essential.
Both horizontally and vertically, today’s brands have taken on this hybridization. Adidas is the perfect example of that with their range of shoes, bags, and clothes, which a few years ago stuck to one style. Now, they accommodate to various audiences, with different sub brands and very different collections and style to cater to all of their customers across the board. Think of the difference between the YEEZY collection and the Superstar collection. Two different worlds, but they’re still Adidas! Creatives must adapt in the same way – providing consistent perfection, but being able to jump across the board fluidly in order to cater to every challenge that comes up with utmost creativity and skill.
“Experiment, experiment, experiment. Be daring. Look at things from a different perspective- turn everything upside down in your mind… Be a Leonardo da Vinci.”
What’s the first step of becoming a Hybrid Creative, you might ask? Be confident enough to step out of your comfort zone. Experiment, experiment, experiment. Be daring. Look at things from a different perspective – turn everything upside down in your mind and rethink your most mundane and practiced tasks that you’ve grown accustomed to doing on auto-pilot mode. Be a Leonardo da Vinci. Yes, da Vinci was and still is the epitome of hybridization and crossbreeding talent. He was a polymath and one of the most diversely skilled and talented people to have ever graced the earth. Da Vinci was a one of a kind inventor, painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, engineer, and anatomist. He took amazing strides during the time of the Renaissance and changed the world with his findings and ideas.
Back in 2018, our motto for the year at Feer McQueen was “Let’s be Elvis”, someone that is shining in his or her own vertical and bringing only the best to the table. During his time, Elvis broke barriers and revolutionized music, changing the industry forever. In 2018, we were steadily growing our Hybrid Model to what is today, and we were encouraging our team members to dive into this hybridization with us. Flash forward to today, and we are still pushing that idea, more than ever, for our creatives to remain hybrid, fluid, and flexible wherever they are hurled, and with whatever that is thrown at them, shining bright not just vertically, but also horizontally, just like Leonardo da Vinci.
Today, the world needs more people just like da Vinci. People who dare to learn and do more every day and shine both vertically and horizontally. People who challenge the status quo, who think differently, not just outside the box, but on top of the box, under the box, and between the cardboard filaments of the box. Every creative should double down on becoming a hybrid talent, cherishing every skill and talent and experimenting to discover how they can take what they know, and add layer upon layer to turn their skillset into a hybridized melting pot of creativity. “Let’s be da Vinci!”
