Jab Borgström's snapshot of pandemic life

As Global Chief Creative Officer, I used to spend my time travelling the world. Now that I’m Zooming around the world and everything I do has been Zoom-ified, I think the title ‘Chief Zoom Officer’ is a better fit. 

I have Zoom meetings, Zoom coffees, Zoom walks, Zoom panel discussions, Zoom forums, Zoom judging, and pitches and shoots over Zoom. I’ve had Zoom drinks, been to Zoom parties and done Zoom exercise classes. 

If the light is falling in an interesting way into the room, or there’s an unguarded or an interesting moment, I’ll take some screen shots.

I’ve had to learn Zoom etiquette, and how to get my Zoom face on for calls from people in different time zones, in the middle of the night or early morning, when there’s no time for a shower or to put pants on. I’ve been in Zoom ‘znoozes’ where colleagues in a Zoom meeting have actually fallen asleep after a long day’s shooting on the other side of the world. 

All of this sedentary Zooming has given me a 'Zoom back, and forced me to buy a ‘Ztanding’ table. A welcome release from my desk are my Zoom coffees with BBH CCOs in Shanghai, London or Singapore, where we go for a walk and show each other around our neighbourhoods with our Zoom devices.

I like those odd moments that you wouldn’t have the same access to in real life because you don’t get so close - like an actor looking bored checking his phone as he waits for his next scene.

To document this new life over Zoom I’ve taken up Zoom Photography. When I travel for work, I love taking photos. Photography is a natural instinct for me because it helps me remember moments. When there’s a meeting on Zoom, I try to observe what is going on in front of me in the same way. When I get a spare moment on the call, I can pin a person on Zoom to fill my screen. If the light is falling in an interesting way into the room, or there’s an unguarded or an interesting moment, I’ll take some screen shots. SHIFT + COMMAND + 4 + SPACE to frame. CLICK to screenshot. 

Zoom photography is also great for remote shoots as they are streamed live from the set. On the shoot for our global Absolut It’s In Our Spirit campaign [above], the live-feed camera was on the ground, and from there we could watch the cast and crew walking around and working on location. At one point a drone was about to take off and I took some shots as the operators were setting it up. I like those odd moments that you wouldn’t have the same access to in real life because you don’t get so close - like an actor looking bored checking his phone as he waits for his next scene.  

I’ve hoarded all award-winning work from Cannes, D&AD and OneShow since the early 2000s. Don’t ask me how many external hard drives I have.

As you might have guessed I have an obsessive personality. I’m a hoarder. I’ve been saving the internet since 1996, collecting everything that has inspired me. In my archive you can find whole websites, gifs, memes, animations, banners, PDFs, videos and all sorts of references through the decades. From downloading stuff on Vimeo and YouTube to everything that makes me smile on Instagram. I’ve also hoarded all award-winning work from Cannes, D&AD and OneShow since the early 2000s. Don’t ask me how many external hard drives I have.