Fatima Ansari's reasons to be fearful
Continuing our series in which industry voices share thoughts on angst in advertising and in general, we speak to Fatima Ansari, Global Senior Copywriter at Publicis One Touch, who shares her belief that fear can be both friend and foe.
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Do the fears of the world at large (climate change, economic uncertainty, political division) affect your creative process?
It certainly does, the 'problem solvers' label that we are so proud to own as advertisers is given a whole new challenge with the uncertainty of the world.
We saw during the pandemic how creativity for brands took a shift – where it became more human-centric in language, more empathetic, and more about connection than a sales pitch.
We are also in a position of power, along with news outlets, to use the media space for the good of the world.
We need to be consciously aware when the fear crosses the line of giving you the push to when it pulls you back.
Is fear good for advertising?
Personally speaking, fear, when it keeps you on your toes is good for advertising - it’s a need to always think of the next project while being in the present. But an excess of it can also halt your creative functioning.
We need to be consciously aware when the fear crosses the line of giving you the push, to when it pulls you back.
What scares you most about the future?
Without boundaries, the access and usage of AI will distribute the mediocrity of the 'seen and done before' packaged as creative. Human brains will be able to rest, but for a little too long to be at the top of their game.
Those from the younger generation are mindful of their footprint and consumption habits because they have seen the world’s worst disasters.
Do you feel that the younger generation have more to fear than the older... particularly in regard to climate change.
They definitely do. I come from Pakistan, which was hit by disastrous floods in late 2022, leaving the country and its people traumatised, homeless and struck by diseases that still continue to be passed on to newborns.
Those from the younger generation are mindful of their footprint and consumption habits because they have seen the world’s worst disasters and are in the position to think of solutions, implement them and change things for the better.
It gives them a new responsibility to save the world for them and for those who come after them.
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What was your biggest fear when entering the industry?
I entered the industry not knowing what it was about or had to offer, completely new to the field, as a business school student. So the fear of the unknown combined with the fear of failure was my biggest challenge.
Depending on the security your mental and physical state can offer you, [fear] can be both your friend and foe simultaneously.
For a job like yours, is fear a friend or foe?
It would be wrong of me to say that fear doesn’t exist, it probably is there, throughout the industry and for advertisers - but depending on the security of your mental and physical state, it can be both your friend and foe simultaneously.
