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On My Radar: Lili Emtiaz
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Lili Emtiaz, multidisciplinary artist and designer at New York based creative studio Trollbäck+Company, cites TikTok, Tod Haynes and taking it slow as some of their influences, as they reveals what's on their creative radar.
What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?
My favourite advertising trend of 2021 was one made by audiences, not brands. Early last year a series of TikToks started emerging that were reminiscent of Adult Swim bumpers. Taking acts that were so mundane they became random; users flooded the trending audio with video content that ended in the Adult Swim logo. I never followed up on whether the brand interacted with them, but it was something brands strive towards; a viral moment where audiences wanted to participate.
What website(s) do you use most regularly?
Aside from checking the news, my personal favourite sources being Al Jazeera, BBC, and the Intercept, I don’t find myself regularly using any one website outside of social media.
What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?
I recently purchased binoculars to start bird watching. As an artist, I’ve always found more than enough activities to pursue at home. However, since the start of the pandemic, I began craving more solitary outdoor activities. So far, I’ve spotted a downy woodpecker and a red-breasted nuthatch [below].
What product could you not live without?
I’d have lost my mind a million times over without a projector this past year.
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What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?
If asked my favourite movie, you will get a different answer from me daily. Today, I will tell you the best film I’ve seen over the last year is Todd Haynes’ Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.
What film do you think everyone should have seen and why?
I don’t know if film could ever be boiled down to a single title. My first inclination is to point viewers to earlier films, such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, if only to show what can be created with limited technology.
What’s your preferred social media platform?
A lot of the time social media can feel like an echo chamber or a one-sided conversation. I find that seeing a variety of opinions and responses in a multi-sided conversation is much more refreshing, which is why Twitter is my preferred platform.
What’s your favourite TV show?
Succession has stolen my heart, like almost everyone in the industry. Between the writing and the character development, I find it to be a perfect show.
What’s your favourite podcast?
I had the pleasure of working with Desus and Mero at VICELAND, and have been hooked on their podcast, Bodega Boys, ever since.
What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?
The last exhibition I saw was Wong Ping: Your Silent Neighbor, at the New Museum in New York City. The exhibition showcased several animations by the artist, Wong Ping. There has always been a question in the commercial art world of whether work fulfils our need to create. Learning that Ping worked in television and commercial animation prior to achieving fame in the art world inspired me to continue exploring personal work. The juxtaposition of his accessible and colourful animation with heavy narratives opened my mind to what animation could be.
What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?
I started working in the industry just as brands were starting to acknowledge the power behind social media. It’s been exciting to watch social and digital teams grow. Where social design and strategy were once an afterthought, they are now a staple.
If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?
We are living in a time where misinformation is a growing problem. As creatives, our strongest ability is that of communication. As our industry continues to grow and evolve, I hope we can collectively work towards communicating ideas and solutions around global issues.
Who or what has most influenced your career?
During my first art class I had a teacher hand me a black and white portrait and ask me to sketch what I saw. After about 20 minutes of drawing, I looked down and thought, this is the closest I will ever get. I walked over to him, drawing in hand, expecting to be handed another portrait. He took one quick glance at the drawing and handed it back. “Is this what you see?” He asked. I looked down at both drawings, that in fact had looked very different. He took a ruler and drew several guidelines and said, “Draw what you see.” I didn’t become good at drawing over night, but I learned to slow down and be mindful of what I saw versus what I put down on paper.
Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know.
I am still very much afraid of the dark.
