Creativity Squared: Being a Creative Chameleon with Pascal Duval

Pascal Duval is a creative director and artist with a fashion background. He has around 25 years of experience as a creative, being responsible for all brands' creative output, experiences and content for G-Star, ASOS and VanMoof. Pascal joined creative agency HALAL Studios as CD in 2021.

Person

As far back as I can remember, I have always been drawing and graduated as a fashion designer before working as a professional creative. I think that comes from within - the inexplicable urge to create. I think we are all creative, in the sense that each of us is unique and has our own individual ways of doing things, but it’s only for some that the creative drive is stronger than the rational part. The moment when you embrace it and nurture it, it can become a force. 

As a commercial creative, I have always seen myself as a chameleon - I can adapt to certain identities, surroundings, and styles. I’m good at listening to feedback from others and working towards what they would like. But as an artist, I search for a certain freedom to grow in any direction and not be contained by someone or something. To become that artist, I’ve had to ‘unlearn’ a lot that I have learned over the years as a creative working in advertising. 

I would consider myself an extrovert, and when I am into something, I will dedicate myself to it completely. 

At the moment, I am preparing my second solo show ‘Wildflower’ at Bisou Gallery in Amsterdam, alongside projects at HALAL Studios. It’s part routine to get it done but also part being hands-on where you have to deal with the unexpected - not every concept or painting works out.

Painting: Pascal Duval, You Are My Sunshine, Acrylic, oil bar, oil pastel, and charcoal on canvas, 2022 155 x 185 cm

Product 

First and foremost, I think you would go back into your own ‘database’ and see if it is original. I believe originality is key. Finding that in your advertising work or painting should always be the driving force. The other is to see if it can stand the test of time, which is hard to judge at the moment when you create it. Most of the time at HALAL Studios, I will flip it and ask myself what would be the opposite of the brief, its idea, or its execution. To force myself not to think the obvious. Next, I look at it to see if it drives change, if it adds something to the world instead of being just another beige thought or object. Change is an essential part of my process - not to be static. 

As a creative director at HALAL Studios, I try to find a hook that allows me and the team to dig deeper into the initial thought and create a diverse output, but still with the same purpose behind it. I think that shows in the previous campaigns I did for ASOS (‘Go Play’ and ‘Reasons to Move’ ) and the work for VanMoof (‘Ride The Future’ campaign including the films ‘Reflections,’ ‘Frog’ and ‘Reverse’).

Within the industry, most of it is ‘beige stuff,’ but some work is truly outstanding and stands the test of time. This probably is similar to art. I know it is not a good habit, but I love that feeling of envy - that ‘oh my god, why did I not come up with that?' feeling. 

Director: Paul Geusebroek at Halal 

Process

I like to work serendipitously. When I paint, somehow my brain is still processing and filtering the ideas I worked on for HALAL Studios the day before. I like to work alone when I paint, but when I work as a CD, I enjoy setting up a direction, handing it over, and together with the team, crafting and playing with it. I like it when the group is a small family - not too big - so we can be agile and more flexible. I think within that end process, I try to be the one that does not compromise the idea but pushes it and helps lift it to become something people will remember. 

Even though all projects are different, I try to keep some signature style throughout. Within my advertising work from the past and now for HALAL Studios, it is harder to see compared to my painting, but in all the work, I try to add something from myself somehow. Also, the images I have with me digitally or hanging on the wall in my studio do guide me a little in my thinking. I don’t think it is a blank canvas because it always evolves out of something I have done, felt, or seen before. 

I used to be a bit of a hoarder and buy magazines and other inspirational knick-knacks all the time, but that slowed down. I still love physical magazines and art books and visiting museums. They all give me inspiration for both my creative outlets. I love artsy.net and visiting gallery websites to look at art - and although it’s more controlled and less surprising than it used to be, Instagram is still a go-to for creative executions.

Within my work at HALAL, realising an idea is ready to be shared, or a project is done is often very clear. Because you deal with clients and other parties, often the process is straightforward and the goal is more apparent - but when I paint, I often paint beyond the final touches and lose that magic moment. This usually means having to partly redo it or, in worse scenarios, paint over the whole thing. 

Photography: Ruud Baan

Press

Even though these are not authentic to where I grew up, skate culture, punk culture, and hip hop culture influenced me a lot. Also, fashion always had a presence - I studied fashion and co-owned a street style store. Later in life, youth culture as a whole still is something I dig into to stay relevant and focused in my work. Even though I always had my eye on being a creative somehow, I accidentally stumbled into advertising. I had no clue what it was about and what to do. I started as a graphic designer because someone saw the club flyers I designed. Soon after, I combined design with art direction and now creative direction. Some of the people I worked with in the past made me who I am today. Like gurus, they guided me and pushed me to create things that were different. I thrive on being pushed, sometimes even by the negative - tell me I can’t do it or make it in time, and I will be even more driven. Similarly, when the situation is stressful, messy, or when time is not my friend, I get excited to kill it, nail the shot, or finalize a painting. 

The same goes for when working with clients. I need that push that can open my mind to think of new things and not just keep trying to sell them beige ideas. If the briefing is clear, you are fed the right input and have the freedom to surprise them; together, you can reach a higher level and make something memorable that lifts the brand. I have been on both the client and agency sides, and I think this is important in both situations. 

It’s hard to get it right when it starts as a compromise, or there is no flow. And if that flow is not present, it will never become that piece that will drive the brand forward or change culture, it will just be plain beige content - and we have enough of that.