Meet the Juror - Interview with Ashley Hadeed

We’re interviewing select jurors of our CONNECTIONS events to give you insight into their creative path and the type of creative work they’re most interested in seeing.

Meet the Juror: Ashley Hadeed, Producer, Enterprise Brand Creative, Capital One (West Coast, LA CONNECTIONS)

Lindsay Comstock: At what point in your life did you recognize that you wanted to pursue a creative path?

Ashley Hadeed: My family ran a small video rental store when I was a kid, so my days were filled watching tapes and developing a love for film. As a result at a young age, I was interested in how an idea could be translated to a visual medium. When I was much too young my Uncle Edmund let me watch “Night of the Living Dead” by George A. Romero. Apart from being terrified, I remember being so fascinated and excited that a film could have such an effect on someone. I suppose that on some level that is what I am always aiming for in any work that I produce, a reaction that lingers.  

LC: Every life event leads us to where we are in the present moment, but was there a specific event or connection with someone that you can credit for helping you to be where you are today?

AH: When I knew I wanted to leave my culinary career I took a chance and became an intern at the Virginia Film Office, knowing I was interested in some capacity in film production but unsure what that might look like. Everyone there was so influential in giving me such a varied experience and an understanding of what film looked like. When I transitioned to advertising, I began to see ads as “mini movies”.

LC: Please describe, in your own words, what your profession is and what work it entails.

AH: I am an integrated brand producer, which just means I work with a variety of content and mediums to bring internal creative dreams to life in service of one brand. I help my teams get their budget, timeline and creative scope in a great place and connect them with external vendors to do the work. Then I am the ringleader who helps push the project forward from inception to completion.

LC: What projects are you currently working on? And how do you envision the creative direction of Capital One?

AH: Currently I support our partnerships and premium lines of business, working with branded partners and also helping to elevate the work that premium customers engage with across a variety of channels. I am always pushing creatively to help our teams feel empowered to expand the definition of the brand as so much more than a bank and connect directly with our customers' lives through images and video content.

LC: In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant?

AH: I love consuming content myself, whether it’s from a commercial, in a movie theater or on my phone. When I see something that I love, I make it a point to track down who worked on it and get more details about it from the production company or the creative teams. I am excited to always be learning from others in the industry.

LC: What is one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, for the creativity and innovation rather than its recognition or industry "success?"

AH: Last year I was tasked with setting up a photo library for “Gen Z” imagery. My first thought was to scrap the typical rule book of how I would approach other shoots, and I was lucky enough that my creative team was very much on board. We casted talent and also relied heavily on them to help us inform our direction for the shoot, and instead of having a structured shot list we created environments for them to engage with and just had our photographer shadow the talent which resulted in such unique authenticity. JN Production did the production and it was shot by Rennie Solis.

LC: Which creative disciplines do you commission most, and are most interested in seeing more of, and why?

AH: I engage with photographers a lot and have so much respect for the unique challenge of telling a whole story through one image. That being said, I am also seeing so much more growth in the motion space, and I love finding ways to blend the two. Airbnb’s latest ads that feature realistic photography slideshows and recognizable songs are some of my favorites. It shows you don’t need to complicate things to make them meaningful.

LC: Are there any trends that you're tired of seeing?

AH: I think it’s time we stop putting brand logos all over content and assuming that’s what makes consumers want to engage with a brand. I also hate logo bugs and would love to see that go away forever.

LC: Which disciplines are you most interested in seeing at CONNECTIONS?

AH: I am so interested in learning about photo, production, animation and social talent that I can use to help support my creative teams! Although every area there is an opportunity for inspiration and learning. Find Ashley on Instagram or Linkedin.