5 Minutes with… Tischen Franklin
Tischen Franklin joined 160over90 in April this year, and since then he has been working on all-encompassing creative for 160over90 clients such as MLB, Hulu, Amazon, Reebok, Marriott, T-Mobile and many more. Already, Tischen has made a positive impact on the 160over90 culture and business, applying over 20 years of creative leadership experience and a deep interest in cultural influences, such as creators, music, film and mainstream media.
His background in creative leadership experience as a design and technology expert, working with Ford, P&G, TD Bank, New York Magazine, AT&T and many other brands, brings unique knowledge to the agency. Joining 160over90 from Uniworld Group Inc, where he served as group creative director of design, Tischen's vision and ability to manage, mentor and devise elegant design solutions will assist in his new role, co-leading with Christian Carl as executive creative director.
Speaking with LBB’s Ben Conway, Tischen discusses working with streetwear pioneers Triple 5 Soul, freelancing on community design projects - such as the new courthouse in Newark, NJ, dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. - and an important lesson from Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs.
LBB> What creative content inspired or interested you most when you were growing up? Do any TV shows, films and ads stand out to you?
Tischen> I have always been a person who likes things that appeal to my own sense of being, which brought a lot of variety into my life growing up.
TV shows that inspired me: The Electric Company, Knight Rider, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Battlestar Galactica.
Films: Star Wars, Superman, Grease, Close Encounters, Indian Jones, The Dark Crystal, Footloose.
I wasn’t so much a big TV ad person growing up, but I used to buy magazines for the fashion, automotive, aero industries and tobacco ads. I still remember how they communicated with me so well: Armani, YSL, Chanel, United Colors of Benetton, Fiorucci, Porsche, Volvo, Saab (Aeroplanes!), Marlboro, Newport, Pall Mall, Pan Am, TWA, and Continental.
LBB> When did the possibility of working in the advertising world appear to you? How was your journey into this industry?
Tischen> I always knew I would be marketing the things that I liked. As a kid, I knew that I would have my own brand and would market that. I constantly drew ads and designed clothes and cars - so I created adverts to market the things I would make.
I went to the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, where there were so many creative folks. Most of the senior students I spent time with either had internships for big brands like Nike, or had their own brands that they were developing and putting into production. This led me to work with those students on their brands and I was introduced to the girl who started Triple 5 Soul, one of the first super successful streetwear brands (at the birth of brands like Supreme).
Because we were such a small crew, we shot and created our own ads, which I learned from all of my friends and the graffiti writers who used the city as their advertising network - anything from walls, trains, work trucks and vans had writers' names/brands. This inspired me to always think in terms of marketing yourself and brands.
My first professional project was creating a streetwear campaign for our NYC, West Hollywood and London Stores. This was truly memorable because I was the person that sealed the deal for Sir Patrick Stewart to invest in a London location and the budget to market all three as a Trinity. That then led to me working in London and snagging an internship at Swifty’s design studio, one of the people that helped shape the legendary ‘Face’ magazine - and one of the most amazing typographers of the generation.
LBB> What’s the most important lesson/piece of advice you received early on in your career? How does it influence you and your work today?
Tischen> Puff Daddy taught me a very important lesson which I still employ and share with anyone who would listen to this day. The client may not always be right in your mind, but definitely show up with what they asked you for, whatever you think it should be, and something in the middle of that spectrum that fuses both extremes to form a happy medium. Then he said, “Or open your own shit with what you think matters most!”
LBB> When did you join 160over90? What were your expectations before you joined? And what were some of your main goals with the studio from the start?
Tischen> I joined 160over90 at the end of March. My expectations were that I was joining an incredible playground that sat in the centre of Endeavor and I immediately thought, ‘Wow, this reminds me of Central Park and how it sits in the centre of NYC - and all of the amazing things that happen in the park.’ But equally as important, there was so much to do when you left the park and in any given direction.
Given the fact that 160over90 is essentially a conglomerate of creative agencies that all had pretty specific roles, functions and expertise, my main goal coming in is amplifying the ‘1’ in 160over90 - so we can function more as a holistic whole, supremely harnessing all of the power of our Endeavor network. We want to make culturally relevant and groundbreaking content - brilliant partnerships and a playground where creative entrepreneurs get to hang and make great creative with us.
LBB> When did design become part of your life? How does your design experience manifest now in your work life and in your own creative time?
Tischen> Design became a part of my life when I was five years old and saw my older sister turn a blank piece of paper into a Snoopy/Peanuts masterpiece. From then on I knew what I wanted to do and have been investing my time, energy and resources into art and design ever since - both personally and secularly. This manifests in everything I do, in the sense that I am always learning and sharing. Life is a cultural caravan and we are buying, selling or trading at every opportunity along the way.
LBB> You’re co-leading in the ECD role with Christian Carl - have you worked with him before? In what ways are you similar and different? - how do you complement each other?
Tischen> The first time I met Christian was on Teams to chat about pitching some business together and it felt like we were on the same page from the jump. We are different in every way which is also what I love the most about Christian. We see things from such different perspectives and we share those ideas and thoughts with each other, and then laugh when we feel and see the magic happening as we run in the same direction together to achieve our goals.
The most important way that we are the same is in our goals and how we want to reach them - by making sure our teams have what they need to be able to make imaginative, disruptive, and inclusive creative in a people-first environment that pushes the cultural conversation forward.
LBB> 160over90’s clients include MLB, Hulu, Amazon, Reebok, Marriott, T-Mobile and more. Which of these brands excite you creatively? Are there any previous campaigns from these brands that stand out as iconic or as inspiration?
Tischen> Absolutely. All of these brands excite me because I get to see the amazing things that we have going on with them, which go way beyond just campaigns. We get to do amazing experiential work as well as create content from those activations, which truth be told are the new campaigns. Some great examples: MLB at All Star, Hulu with Aftershock, Marriott at Pharrell’s ‘Something In The Water’ Festival, T-Mobile sponsored festivals like Watershed and Lollapalooza. Previous campaigns include, ‘Hulu Has Live Sports’, ‘Marriott Bonvoy with Formula 1’, and ‘T-Mobile Uncarrier Netflix Bundle’.
LBB> What experiences and skills have you brought from your previous role at Uniworld Group Inc to this new role?
Tischen> At UWG, a multicultural agency, every project had serious social implications and provided opportunities to demonstrate what culturally relevant and creative conversation looks, sounds and feels like. For instance, auto manufacturers are focusing on women of colour as a growth market but refuse to show the world what that looks like beyond the data and insight that they have. We used the relaunch of the Bronco product line to encourage Ford to create culturally relevant content, showcasing women of colour off-roading and talking about the importance of getting out of the city to explore - using tools like the Bronco Sport as partners. The reception and results were staggering. While Ford was behind on Big Bronco Deliveries, the work we did resonated with consumers of all genders and colours and pushed the Bronco Sport to the forefront of the class, setting the tone for how Ford showed up with content for the Bronco brand.
LBB> After 20 years in the industry, you must have seen a lot of changes. What stands out as some truly significant moments? And what is the industry currently crying out for?
Tischen> What has always inspired me is how cultural movements in history define communication and shape future landscapes. Music, art, fashion and technology are all driven by what people want and how they define what works for them and why. Street art and wear, iPhone/iPad, the rise of social media, web 1,2 and now 3 are movements that I have seen as significant. I am always excited about the integration of science and technology in all forms of life, especially how it affects marketing and communication. What the industry could be doing better is investing in diversity and inclusion beyond buzzwords and cliches.
The industry is still crying out for diversity and inclusion on all levels.
LBB> Who in the industry/in your field inspires you? And how do you stay fresh?
Tischen> This is a tough question because I am inspired by all industries and how they handle similar opportunities to advance culture and communication. In terms of people, I am more inspired by individuals like my buddy Alan Ket who helped Mark Ecko create brand/media powerhouses like Complex. Or how he helped turn Wynwood from a corporate idea into a global learning experiential hub in Miami - and ultimately creating the first Museum of Graffiti in the world. This is phenomenal because he took his 30 years of street knowledge, combined that with his education and wove in his work experience to achieve life-long dreams - while giving back to the world all at the same time.
I have a diversified mastermind group that I share ideas and happenings with on a regular basis. I also keep in touch with social and all levels of our teams that include partnerships, account, PR, strategy and creative because teamwork makes the dream work as well as industry journals and creative media outlets.
LBB> Outside of work, what do you do to decompress or stay fresh? What are some of your hobbies, special interests and habits?
Tischen> I work on fashion and branding with my friends, as well as freelance for community projects, like designing the centrepiece for the new courthouse in Newark, NJ, dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. I am also an avid snowboarder, learning how to surf. I travel a lot and am hugely interested in language and being able to communicate locally in different countries.
LBB> What do you think it is that drives and motivates you in work and in your life?
Tischen> Creative expression and my daughter, family and friends are the essentials of my driving force and motivation worldwide!
