5 Minutes with… Tolga Büyükdoganay
Beginning his career in Istanbul, Türkiye, Tolga Büyükdoganay has since worked across the bustling cities of Vienna, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and now finds himself living in Amsterdam. As chief creative officer at Ogilvy in the Netherlands’ capital city, he finds himself immersed in the language of the region, while also revelling in the fishing opportunities at his doorstep.
Having honed his experience across so many different markets, Tolga finds excitement in picking up on nuances and being involved in local, rather than international, work. During his brainstorming sessions, he’s a keen user of AI applications like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot to further enhance this understanding - but Notes is still his most used app on his phone to date.
With a leadership style based on trust and open communication, it’s no surprise that he asks the creatives around him for their opinions, as well as sharing his own in unfiltered discussions. Through this collaboration, the ideas he hears spark his own thinking process, saying, “If I don’t get ideas from the work presented, then there’s probably no spark - nothing exciting.”
To hear more about his process, as well as his love of fishing and the one sport which he warns people not to challenge him at, Tolga speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani.
LBB> When did your interest in the advertising industry first transpire and were there any formative pieces of work which left an impression on you?
Tolga> I studied graphic design and my dream was to create logos and package designs. I did quite a bit of work, to be honest. If you go to Türkiye, you can still find the package designs I created, even after all these years. I liked that you could create physical objects people could interact with. But these projects take time, a lot of time. Months and months of work, testing prints, driving to printers to see if the colour separation worked. I saw that my friends from the university created concepts and produced commercials in weeks. So, for me, it was more interesting to see how I could get my ideas out faster. And I also like comedy, so I wanted to use my script writing talents for commercials.
LBB> How did you begin your journey into the industry and land your first role at Publicis Turkey as a junior art director?
Tolga> Well, I had a bit of experience working in a multimedia agency. We used to create CDs with multimedia content. But again, these projects take ages to finish. I think it was a friend who tipped me off that they were looking for a junior art director at an agency. I pinched myself and got the job. But I recall that I was the only person on the creative floor without a room of my own. And although the office was a nice villa, it was always packed, so I used to sit in the hallway. But I did some nice work there and learned a lot.
LBB> Since then, you’ve worked across Istanbul, Vienna, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam. How has this international experience impacted your approach to creative work?
Tolga> I can tell you, it’s not easy. And if you don’t enjoy changing your bank account, telephone, tax number, insurance and, in some cases, changing your partner like changing T-shirts – then don’t do it. Experience-wise, it is huge of course. Each country, each company has its own culture. Adapting takes time, and understanding the local nuances is exciting. I always worked on local work. I was not an expat who did international work. That’s why I liked it. It was fast and furiously local.
LBB> Where does your creative process begin? Is it a brainstorming session, do you write things down or is it more free-flowing than that?
Tolga> I take a lot of notes. Of course, the briefing session is the start. It can also be the client's briefing meeting. Although you’ll already get ideas in that meeting, it’s better to take notes because I forget everything. My most used app on my phone is the Notes app. I also use a lot of AI for researching and checking my written grammar. My second most used app is Gemini AI from Google, but now I am flirting with [Microsoft] Copilot. I feel there is no monogamous relationship with AI engines.
LBB> How would you describe your leadership style? What do you do to get the most creative and effective work out of your team?
Tolga> My leadership style depends on trust and openness. I cannot say, ‘Wow, great idea’ if I don’t feel it. And I wish everyone else would do the same. So, if you are in a review with me, I will definitely ask your opinion. Your opinion will say a lot about you (in my opinion). And then we can discuss and find solutions together. I am not in ‘my way or the highway’ mode 24/7. You can shut me down with great insights and points of view.
LBB> Can you share a few campaigns which you’ve worked on over the years and are particularly proud of?
Tolga> I really like our latest campaign for Milka with the singer/ rapper Snelle. It’s our first AI campaign, which uses three different AI engines to create custom songs in seconds. We are very proud of the output and some of our partners have said ‘This would have been not possible three months ago’. So, it’s really exciting to be on the leading edge of what technology can offer.
I also like our Sea Shepherd case from last year very much. As I am a fisherman myself, the campaign touched me in a different way. The craft of the campaign was amazing, and we got help from our colleagues at Chuck Studios. They shot delicious, Michelin Star-level food photographs of these fish. They are just beautiful.
LBB> You’ve been based in the Netherlands for a while now, what are some of the intricacies of the market which people may not be aware of?
Tolga> The ad space in the Netherlands is small. Yes, some global work comes out of the agencies here, and that’s great. And then there is the local work. I had the privilege of working in an ‘ultra’ local agency as a CD/copywriter. It was hard for me, and for everyone, as I didn’t speak Dutch. But the turnaround was fast. Smaller budgets, smaller teams, two or three rounds of feedback and then into production. You need that sometimes, so not everything takes eight to nine months.
LBB> In terms of the innovation which has been taking place in the industry, what are some of the trends - both tech-based and otherwise - which have stuck in your creative process?
Tolga> I don’t want to be boring here, but AI will dominate further. All of our art directors use it now. And our researchers use it too. We can take and simplify meeting notes, and the use cases are infinite.
And lately, video generation is getting better, and so is music - look at the Milka AI case we’ve just launched. AI-generated content will get bigger and bigger. I dream of going to the cinema, choosing your director, choosing a couple of actors/actresses, and then sitting down to watch the AI-generated film you have just created.
LBB> When you’re looking at a piece of creative work, what initially stands out to you? What are you looking to see or feel from a piece of work? How do you bring that into your own process?
Tolga> Well, everyone has their own formula. Every time I hear an idea, I get ideas. This happens instantly for me. I use my emotions to reflect on the material we see. Then I get tons of ideas about execution, additional lines, how to make it funnier etc.
Then I pitch these ideas back to the creatives. Sometimes they love it, sometimes they hate it. So, it’s fluid. They need to like it otherwise they’ll produce something they don’t like.
If I don’t get ideas from the work presented, then there’s probably no spark - nothing exciting. Most of the time it’s boring or too normal. Then I bring something else to the table and we discuss it. This is exactly how it works, every day in the office.
LBB> Aside from work, what are the hobbies and interests which take up your spare time?
Tolga> [My daughter] Vién takes a big chunk of my spare time. Her coming to me and saying ‘Papa, can I ask you something?’ is a classic. And it never stops - I hope it never does! Apart from that, I sometimes release songs under the name BDA. You can listen to my singles here. Please do! https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GC3RnnR4vkDlsPeqYh03s
Because I also play the guitar, I started a TikTok channel where I remember the guitar gods of our times, and I try to play like them… barely. But every Saturday, it pushes me to play some guitar to irritate the neighbours.
I also play golf and occasionally like to go fishing. In Amsterdam you can literally fish out of your window, so it’s great. I just bought the book ‘Catching the Big Fish’ by David Lynch. The opening page starts with ‘Ideas are like fish’. I love that.
LBB> Tell us something which people may not know about you!
Tolga> I played professional pool in the 1st league in Amsterdam. So don’t play pool with me. It is not fun… for you.
