The Story Of A French Man In Adland Of America

my story

Jan 25

How a French ‘sudiste’ made his way to America. And the juicy stories behind Adland.

The pandemic has thrown much chaos at us, yet we've been presented with an incredible opportunity to become better versions of ourselves.

I learned some things the hard way. But it doesn't have to be that way. I believe my experience can help those who dream of working in the advertising industry in America. That is why I have decided to start 2021 with writing my personal story.

My hope in sharing my story is to shed light on some of the things happening in this industry. The good and the not-so-good things. So people can realize what it takes to make it or not. And what lies beneath the red carpet.

This is the story of my life.

And it is a testimony to the Latin proverb "Fortune Favors The Bold."

But I must warn you. There is no happy ending to this story. Nothing lasts forever.

In the South of France, we work to live.

The Chaîne des Alpilles is a small range of low mountains in Provence. Photo by Gilles Lagnel on Les Alpilles Vues Du Ciel

Growing up in Provence, South of France with its vineyards, olive trees, and baguettes, I sensed I’d only appreciate this paradise when I found a point of reference. So packing my things, I went off to complete my studies in Paris at ISCOM where I earned in 2006 a Master’s in Marketing and Global Communications.

For a ‘sudiste’, even if it’s difficult to admit, Paris is where it all happens when it comes to advertising. I guess this rings true for all major capitals in the world.

Two years in Paris changed the course of my life. During that time, I had the opportunity to intern for big advertising agencies such as Draft and EURO RSCG. That in itself allowed me to immerse myself in the real world of advertising and gain valuable work experience.

Not only did I study the theoretical underpinnings of advertising and psychology, but I also had the chance to put it all into practice with advertising professionals who were doing this for a living. I also spent a lot of time in museums, theaters, and art galleries to top up my culture tan.

How did I manage to intern at big advertising agencies?

I spent numerous hours crafting a story. Even without much work experience to put in my resume, I had to make my story interesting. That was my number one goal. Once I had my story down on paper, I started asking my entourage if they knew anyone who works in advertising.

Even if you think you don’t know anyone that might be of help, you must learn to leverage your network. One person may lead you to another person who may connect you to the person you seek.

It turned out that my sister had a classmate who was now working in an advertising agency in Paris. So I got her contact information, researched her company and its clients, and sent her a well-crafted letter with my resume. That’s right, back in the days, we were still writing paper letters. After a few weeks, I had no answer. So I sent another letter. Still no answer. So I asked for her phone number and gave her a ring. I finally got to her. She had read my letter and was interested in meeting with me.

So I jumped on a train and went to meet her in Paris. I managed to get a coffee with that person. I brought my positive enthusiasm and ensured my passion for advertising would come through our little chat. I treated our meeting as if it were an interview for a real job. I prepared for it. I had the answers to the obvious and less obvious questions.

Why us? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What’s your favorite brand and campaign? And why? I had all my answers fleshed out. My discourse was as sharp as a knife. That made the difference for me. It is how I got my first internship in a big ad agency in Paris.

I replicated the same effort for the research and interview process for my second internship. You should always keep your story relevant and have topics of conversation that are current and contextual to what’s happening in the world of the agency you are applying to.

Remember it’s about keeping things personal.

This time around, I also had references and work examples that I collected from my previous internship to complement my application.

I urge you to realize how important are work samples and references in the world of advertising. You need to garner and leverage them. These are your prime tools to make your story strong and believable.

London has been a springboard for my international marketing career.

Me and my mates Cecil and Tim in a London pub.

Do you want to make it to America? Consider London as your first step in the right direction. After graduating, I had two choices. Accept a full-time job as a junior brand guy in the last agency I interned for in Paris, or continue to explore the world and move to an English-speaking country to immerse myself in a new culture and master the language.

As you must know, the French are well known for not speaking good English. I was one of those. And that in itself was a weakness that I wanted to overcome as soon as possible. Therefore the choice was easy for me, even though it was not an easy choice.

I moved to London in 2006 to launch my marketing career. It is at Publicis Modem that I landed my first job in advertising. But it wasn’t that easy. It took some time and a good dose of bravery and patience.

London was known for being the hub of the European advertising market and where big ideas were born. I think London still has the same reputation, but 15 years ago, it was THE place to be. The boom of the Internet was reaching new heights, and with that came a plethora of opportunities. It took me three months to land my first job.

During that time, I was job hunting, searching online and in real life for opportunities. I was knocking at the door of agencies. I was going to bars where I knew agency people were hanging out. I was willing to do anything it takes to get my foot in the door of an English agency.

Even if I had to start as a runner, make photocopies, or serve cups of tea. To start, I would have done anything. Sadly, nothing came up. The doors remained closed for a while. But that didn’t discourage me. So instead of losing hope and going crazy in my mind, I took a bartending job to get me going while I was still looking for an opportunity in an ad agency.

must admit I enjoyed working behind a bar in the Shoreditch area of London. There are worse places to be when you’re 24 years of age. I was having a lot of fun, meeting new people, making new friends, and making a decent living while bettering my English. But I never lost hope and sight of my primary objective to land a job in a London ad agency.

One day, the phone rang. It was an ad recruiter who came across my resume and reached out to see if I were available and interested in meeting to discuss a junior position in an agency in central London. That agency was Publicis Dialog.

I prepared for the interview like my life depended on it. I was ready to conquer the world. It felt like the world was mine. I could do anything I set my mind to.

Looking back, I know for a fact this is the attitude someone must have to get a job at an ad agency.

The French connection in America.

Me behind the French flag among the flags of the world on Venice Beach.

I landed my first job in a London agency that was part of the French advertising network Publicis Groupe. I guess the French connection turned out to be an advantage.

Publicis Dialog is a digital and direct marketing agency that was looking for fresh young talents. I was lucky enough to join the team. I witnessed the merger between Publicis Dialog and Modem Media to birth Publicis Modem, the agency providing digital and social media marketing services to its clients. Speaking of which, in 2007, Facebook was only three years old. Twitter was only one year of age.

So I can say that I’ve seen firsthand the rise of data and digital across the agency and client business.

To me, London is also where I met a wonderful Bulgarian woman, far from my reach, who ten years later will become my wife.

Our move to America.

The beautiful and hilly San Francisco, California

After two years of living the full-on London life, my future wife and I made a pact of faith. We decided to relocate to California to realize our respective career aspirations.

You may be wondering: Do they know they need a VISA to work and live in America? Well, my wife won the lottery. But not the one you would expect. She won the Green Card lottery. Therefore she didn't need a VISA.

That was not the case for me. I knew I had to get sponsored by an American company if I wanted to live legally in the United States of America. Developing an international marketing career in America has always been a dream of mine.

So, I braced myself and shared my ambition with the Managing Director of Publicis Modem, my agency at the time. More than an agency, It was my family. I have shared with the folks at PubMo some of the best moments of my personal and professional life.

We were working together to create the future of digital and social media marketing. We were pushing the boundaries of what was possible. But we were also having the best time of our lives, and not only during work hours.

I remember our team night outs lasted entire nights, even weekends. Even if we often had massive headaches on Monday mornings, we were still showing up on time with a big smile on our faces. I guess that is what makes the difference between a job and a calling.

So because I gave everything that I had to PubMo in London for a couple of years, they returned me the favor by arranging job interviews with PubMo in San Francisco. I had won half the battle. I had to nail the interviews and proved to them that I had what it takes to work in an American ad agency. Not only that, I had to prove that I can contribute to the success of the agency in greater length than what an American person could do.

It was almost like proving that I was an exceptional individual. Frankly, I am not that type of person. What I had was my passion and French attitude and the courage to quit my job in London, buy a one-way ticket to San Francisco, jump off the London bridge, and cross over the Atlantic Ocean to land in California.

The day after I arrived in the USA, I had a full day of interviews lined up. Even though I was jet-lagged, I was so thankful for the opportunity. I knew I had to give it my best shot. It felt like I had superpowers.

I nailed the interview process. I managed to convey that I will continue to dedicate myself fully to the success of the company. And this is what won me a sponsorship and a career at PubMo in San Francisco.

Do you see what happened here?

I believe the most straightforward way for an "alien" to work for an ad agency in America is to join a multinational group with offices in America.

After a few years of tenure, your best bet is to negotiate a transfer. In my case, it was not a transfer. I gave PubMo London an ultimatum. I was going to America with or without their help. I had nothing to lose. Worst case scenario, I would have spent three months traveling in America and would have returned to London after my tourist VISA would have expired. And that would still have been an enriching life experience.

The American dream thing.

Me behind the wheel of a classic Mercedes-Benz car in the garage of Kastner in Los Angeles

After four enriching but excruciatingly demanding years in San Francisco working for HP and LG, I convinced PubMo to help me with the Green Card. I am still so grateful for that. It was a long and tedious process. I had to hire an attorney to help me with the application process. It cost about $10K at the time. It took me a couple of years to get the Green Card. I can tell that this is the best $10K that I’ve ever spent for myself. It was worth the investment. As a Green Card holder, I was now able to live and work for any company in the USA. And that was priceless.

Our time in San Francisco was coming to an end. But it was not the end for us in America. In fact, with the Green Card in hand, it was just the beginning. We found yet another piece of paradise and ensconced ourselves in La La Land. There’s no way to know if I’m yet another “Only in America.” story but it was here in Los Angeles where the opportunities to grow professionally, hone my skills, and fast-track my career abounded.

During my time in Los Angeles, I mingled with some of the best talents in the industry. I worked for Trailer Park, a leading content and entertainment marketing agency located in Hollywood, and helped launch Showtime’s TV series Penny Dreadful. I collaborated with world-renowned digital agencies and creative shops like 72andSunny across brands such as Google. I managed to land my dream job: make global advertising at TBWA/Media Arts Lab for Apple. I even got to present work to the advertising legend Lee Clow. I helped launch products on a global scale, worked on the positioning of new brands and established ones, and oversaw high-level advertising and marketing campaigns. I devised the brand strategy for Kastner's new business SnkrINC, invented the future of DOOH with Red Bull, and helped a startup in the healthy snack delivery service find its brand personality and voice, among many other things. I had a blast working with a bunch of creative and talented people from all over the world. It taught me so much about how to build brands and sell creative ideas. I almost had it all. But I blew it.

In America, they work hard and play hard.

Working long hours makes you a hard worker.

Sometimes when you make your dreams come true, you lose yourself in the process. I was flying so high that my feet were no longer on the ground. Even though I am thankful for the opportunities, the pressure level was so high and the job so demanding that I had to compensate with mind-altering substances to try and find balance.

Yes, I’m referring to drugs and alcohol. Many people in the ad industry use substances to cope with 12-hour workdays and a 7-day workweek. That amount of work and dedication is required from the big shops. Yes, it is a lifetime opportunity to work for them. But the price to pay is heavy.

Like high-performing athletes, high-paid jobs in advertising require much sacrifice. Those who last are those who have a healthy lifestyle. They eat healthy. They work out. They meditate. There are many ways to cope with the pressure other than using or abusing substances. You are better off without them.

What had the best of me was the constant political nonsense that makes this industry so toxic at times. I could not take the bullshit anymore. I could not look at all the money thrown away by inflated egos in need of their daily dose of power and dopamine.

I reached a point of no return and told some of the best agencies in America to fuck-off. Excuse my French. That was not the right thing to do. From the top of my game, I fell and hit rock bottom. I shot myself in the foot with a 45 caliber. It hurt bad, but I survived.

With time I healed. The experience humbled me. It helped me build character. I learned the hard way that if you want things to last, you need to endure. And for that, you need discipline. Unfortunately for me, I lacked a great deal of it. 2016 was a taught year for me in Los Angeles. I burned out.

But then it passed. I picked myself up and freelanced at some small creative shops. I loved this creative industry so much that I knew It was not the end for me just yet. However, I knew it was the beginning of a new era.

Then it hit us. My wife and I realized that after over a decade in America, the time was ripe for us to move back home. Even though America had become our second home, we needed a change. We needed something that felt more real. We needed a simple life. And rightly so, we were missing our family and friends.

So we packed our things, again, sold everything we had, and decided to relocate to Bulgaria, my wife’s home country.

Back to the roots but still going strong.

The “Ivan Vazov” National Theatre is Bulgaria’s biggest theatre, as well as the oldest and most imposing theatre in the country.

The circle is complete. Life has its way to take you back where you belong. Based in Bulgaria, the IT and digital nomad hub of Europe, in early 2020 I founded ThinkBastien, a creative marketing and brand strategy consultancy agency with the belief that behind every successful business is a cultural brand. I help businesses find their brand personality and craft their story with purpose and creativity. I work with founders, businesses, and brands to augment their creative and strategic capabilities and level up their brand game.

The Game of Thrones.

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Photo by William Krause on Unsplash

Competition is fierce in the advertising industry. There will be people that will try to take your seat. There will be people that will do everything in their power to sabotage you. There will be backstabbing.

Often, the people who will try to hurt you the most will be those close to you. Yes, I’m referring to direct managers or teammates or even subordinates. Understandably, these people will either feel threatened or envious, or maybe both. And there is nothing you can do to change this.

You have to be ready to deal with it most gently. That’s just the nature of the industry and the culture of advertising. Or perhaps, to avoid it all, you have to lay low.

I think this is the biggest realization for me. The higher you climb the corporate ladder, the lower you have to lay. So you may duck the attacks and fly under the radar.

What I’m grateful for:

Me with my long board on my way (to attempt) to surf in Santa Monica pier.

Publicis Modem in London and San Francisco. These are the two agencies where I cut my teeth and learned the ropes of advertising. I’m grateful for the Publicis network to help me with the Green card process. I will always be appreciative and I am proud to call them family;

The people I’ve met along the way. Both the amazing ones and those who tried to sabotage me. In the end, they all made the journey worthwhile.

The Mistakes I made:

I let success take the best of me. Instead of staying humble, I went at times over my head. And it cost me everything;
I let negative people sabotage me and decide my fate for me;
I quit on several occasions before it was my time.

What I’ve Learned:

Life can bring you opportunities like no other if you allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone and into the unknown. You must take risks if you want to reap big rewards;
Your character, personality, and passion are far more important than your skills and talent. Skills are taught, character isn’t. Seek experiences that build character;
Don’t underestimate the network effect. Without relationships and the right network, your personality and talent can only take you so far;
Don’t take no for an answer; sometimes it is just a question of timing;
Invest in yourself and in the long game;
Don’t let your ego take control of the situation. Always remain in control and stay humble;
The more you rise to the top, the more you have to lay low;
Risk is not your enemy. Make friends but always have a fallback plan.

If you had told me 15 years ago that one day I would live and work in America with some of the most creative agencies for some of the most interesting brands in the world, I would have responded “You’re crazy!”

Now I would say “If you aren’t crazy enough to think that you can do anything in the world, then really, you are the crazy one.”

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