The Work That Made Me: Steven Bennett-Day
Steven is a founder of Ourselves, a B Corp certified independent creative studio. Previously a creative leader with experience, knowledge, and insight from leading world-class creative, digital and technology agencies — producing everything from creative technology firsts to TV advertising. He has a keen interest in how creativity can help regenerate the way humanity treats the planet and each other. Lives by the ocean, swimmer, body surfer, cold-water dipper. Keen advocate and activist for clean water and a healthy planet.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Steven> Thriller, Gotta Lotta Bottle, Electro 5, Live Aid, For Mash Get Smash, Too-Rye-Ay, The Face, Pass The Dutchie, Ness A Guin, Supergoose, Quattro, Lightcycle, London Calling, Buzby, (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew, Accrington Stanley, NME, Phone Home, Ozone and Turbo, Insignias got everything, Sitting in the waiting room (ah), Life’s Too Good… As a kid, I was very good at being a complete sponge for anything I was too nerdy to be a part of, stuff I still draw on today.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Steven> I first worked in the industry from the late '80s to mid '90s, then took some time out to explore other stuff. It was when I started to see the things you could do with digital and interactive software, I got drawn back in. I got hold of a copy of Macromedia’s Director and Flash and spent my spare time learning how to code, animate and interact. I loved exploring the cross-section of art and technology and how that could be used in commercial work. I even wrote a eulogy to Flash when Adobe decided to start killing it off.
LBB> The creative work (film/album/game/ad/album/book/poem etc) that I keep revisiting…
Steven> Work that combines an idea, with creativity and technology always excites me. So I often revisit the experimental interactive work of brilliant creatives like Joshua Davis/PrayStation, Matt Pyke/Universal Everything and Ross Lovegrove. More recently Omar Karim and his experiments with AI.
LBB> My first professional project…
Steven> The first ever ad I created that went live was a print ad for an industrial fan company. They make the big fans that keep air moving in places like the Dartford Tunnel. My job was to launch their first range of small and budget fans. I still remember the line I wrote: “A fan to get you into a tight corner, and out of one.” I still have the cromalin proof somewhere.
LBB> The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Steven> There’s plenty of work that has made me feel nothing, but I’m not sure if any creative work has ever made me angry — yet. That could all change this year though. A long time ago I vowed to not make any more work that adds to any planetary and humanitarian problems. So anything that uses creativity, algorithms and influencers to spread misinformation about climate change, dumping shite into our oceans or influencing political agendas will get me going. I’m expecting 2024 to be an angry one.
LBB> The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that still makes me jealous…
Steven> There is loads of work over the years that I wish I’d been part of. Despite all the amazing work I admire, it has to be the Requiem For A Dream website by Hi-ReS! from 2001. A website? Yeah I know, but this was before websites were dull AF. It had everything. An idea, a new form of media, an unusual narrative, interactivity, art and just plain old fucking weirdness.
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Steven> I guess working with Innocent Drinks in that period (2006-7ish) when everyone wanted to work with (or curse) them. It wasn’t so much a single piece of work I did with them, although there was a load of good stuff, it opened a lot of doors creatively and and kept the phone ringing from some lovely clients to follow.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Steven> Being the ECD looking after Dove’s global digital work for over three years, and building the team around that work. Working with a brand like that gave us a lot of permission to think properly big. We made some great stuff, but I still lament after some of the ideas we presented that didn’t quite make it out.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Steven> Pitch theatre at nearly every big agency I worked at. Agency logo printed on M&M’s anyone?
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Steven> Helping Vivobarefoot launch VivoBiome, their scan-to-print circular footwear platform. There’s a bunch of brands playing around with printing footwear, but Vivo is genuinely looking to completely change the model of the shoe industry.
It’s one of those vision briefs you read and think “It’s bonkers, it sounds awesome, but how is anyone going to see that through”. Well, Asher and the team at Vivo have been doing just that for two years and it has been a pleasure to be part of bringing that vision to life. Part creative, part product, and part techie stuff, right down to walking the bare-foot walk in the prototypes.
