Amir Kassaei, globally celebrated advertising icon, has immortalized his life’s work in his book “Vom Unsinn des Lebens” (About the Nonsense of Life). In the following, we present a portrait of, as well as an interview with, a creative spirit who has left a lasting mark on more than just the advertising industry.
Photo: Inge Prader
Author & Interview: Mansoureh Rahnama
Amir Kassaei is a rebel, born in the chaotic crucible of Tehran, formed as a child soldier in war, and shaped by the tumult of world history. Native to Iran, raised in Austria, and after studies in France, Amir Kassaei settled in Germany in 1997. His initial career path brought him from Account Manager to Strategic Planner to Art Director and Copywriter to Executive Creative Director for Mercedes-Benz and its joint venture in Smart electric cars. Leaving behind the desperate struggle to survive in the trenches of the Iran-Iraq war, Kassaei interleaved his dreams into advertising campaigns, mastering the alchemy of ideas. With Cannes Lions as laurels placed on him for the power he demonstrated in the space between art and commerce, he shaped brands and bent minds, but never his own. Now a master of many genres, he stretches his canvas beyond advertising, drawing architectural worlds with clean lines, spinning threads in fashion, and weaving stories rich with content.
In his mid-40s, his career in the boardrooms came to an end. Guided by Muhammad Ali’s famous motto “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, he embarked on his personal “New Beginning” as an ad and marketing veteran. A nomad of creativity, defying boundaries, Kassaei is guided by these rules and truths: “Don’t create mere air. Create products with substance and meaning. Qualitative growth paves the way to the future.” Every morning, Kassaei drove himself with the reminder: “Fight, or perish!” While the young Amir started out as a mere accountant in a design agency, he has grown to become a global advertising giant with more than 2000 awards to his name.
“Don’t create mere air. Create products with substance and meaning. Qualitative growth paves the way to the future.”
Among those Kassaei cites as role models and inspirational figures are Holger Jung and Jean-Remy von Matt who secured the Porsche account – arriving in a Porsche, they quipped, “We’re just two here because only two fit in a Porsche”; and Bill Bernbach, a godfather of advertising reliant on spirited truths – for the VW Beetle, he crafted the campaign “It’s ugly, but it gets you there”, and who placed the VW logo on a black-and-white photo of the moon landing module. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs inspired Kassaei with “Think different”.
After 30 years, a career that had begun in German advertising agencies and that had reached its peak in New York City led Amir Kassaei to the quietude of abandoned textile factories, from where he metamorphosed into an architectural icon. Not content with only these accomplishments, something new emerged in Barcelona, from where he entered the world of fashion and went on to create a fashion brand in Ibiza. Under his leadership, the DDB advertising agency gained worldwide recognition for groundbreaking campaigns for iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, Nike, and Volkswagen, with his tenure as Global Chief Creative Officer marking a pinnacle of the firm’s creative excellence and strategic innovation. From the gleaming towers of New York City to the bustling streets of Shanghai, Kassaei steered DDB Worldwide’s creative vision, characterized by unwavering commitment to innovation and a keen sense of the pulse of global culture. Despite his influence on the advertising world, Kassaei ultimately sought new horizons. In 2017, he founded the renowned agency C14torce in Barcelona, dedicating himself exclusively to the SEAT brand and continuing his tradition of excellence.
“I’m naturally drawn to challenges”, says Kassaei about himself thus characterizing his determination. He moves multidimensionally, using applied creativity to build projects with added value.
“I’m naturally drawn to coke”
His hobby? Blitz chess. He considers it the perfect relaxation. With only three minutes per game, there’s no time for contemplation. Some call him not only the “Chief Creative Officer” but also the “Chief Ass Officer”, as he continually seeks new battles: “Real fighters don’t eat honey, they chew bees”. Even when he could have leaned back, he sought provocation.
“Fight, or perish!”
At the age of 13, he was on the front lines as a child soldier in the Second Gulf War. He and his comrades had to cross a minefield, where he lost a friend of the same age. The experience of being forced to shoot people, at that tender age, gives him nightmares to this day.
“Real fighters don’t eat honey, they chew bees”.
„IBIZA O NADA“
“We are all like little feathers. We are whirled through life. Whether moved by breeze, wind, storm, or tornado, if we are true, we always land in the right place.”
Kassaei creates luxury items, but if you encounter the advertising icon on the island of Ibiza dressed in the manner of a gardener, no doubt you’ll notice he’s in flip-flops and shorts, without any luxury items. If you ask him what he’s doing, he calls himself a retiree and advertising veteran. With a smile, he says, “I enjoy life and let creativity flow, no matter where I am.” Even on the island with Ibiza O Nada, he creates a synthesis of freedom, hedonism, openness, respect, the highest quality of life, and sustainability. Now, the ad and marketing veteran has immortalized his life’s work in a book called “The Nonsense of Life”, with the motto: “We are all like little feathers. We are whirled through life. Whether moved by breeze, wind, storm, or tornado, if we are true, we always land in the right place.”
Many talented people come to Germany. However, circumstances often force them to move on. Despite facing their own personal struggles against prejudice and rejection, there are in Germany exceptional talents such as Amir Kassaei, a globally celebrated advertising guru. He revolutionizes the industry and rewrites history. If Germany truly wants to be the land of the best, the conditions for talent acquisition must be right so that these talents remain here. They could transform this industrial nation into a global centre of excellence, led by geniuses like Amir Kassaei.
„VOM UNSINN DES LEBENS“
“About the nonsense of life”
To see his newly released book sold alongside that of Germany’s eminent politician Helmut Schmidt is a well-deserved recognition for Kassaei. Schmidt was known for his determination, sharp intellect, and ability to solve complex political issues. His pragmatic approach and composure in crisis situations were remarkable.
INTERVIEW
On the occasion of his book’s release, we conducted a conversation with Amir Kassaei, a supremely creative mind who has profoundly influenced the advertising landscape.
WHAT..
What drives you to reflect on your life and your decisions, and what insights do you draw from them?
I believe I have a healthy and constructive value system to guide me through life. I have always made the most important decisions in my life with my instincts, not my head, and my instincts have never led me astray. I think we should think a lot less and blame a lot more In relation to yourself, your life, your environment and the society you live in.
What are the most common challenges for creatives today, and how do you propose to address them?
The challenges today are the same as they were 15 years ago. Even back then, I warned that the task and responsibility of creatives is to find original and innovative solutions to the essential problems of companies instead of concentrating on advertising, colourful images and funny texts. Then as now, most of those involved are unable to grasp this intellectually.
WHY...
Why is it important to understand local culture to develop successful advertising campaigns? Given your intercultural experiences – born in Iran, raised in Austria, educated in France, employed as a creative director in Germany and the USA – how have these diverse cultural influences shaped your approach to advertising?
As a creative, you are condemned to remain curious and to be an apprentice. This means that you have to be inspired by different cultures, trends and insights. The world and the people who live in it are the greatest source of inspiration for everyone. Not just for creatives
Why, despite technological advancements, does authentic customer engagement remain a central factor in marketing?
Marketing has only one task. To create an emotional bond between people, products, services and brands. A brand is the sum of all the experiences I have with a company. Technology can be a great tool for this.
Unfortunately, technology is very often confused with ideas, scope with relevance and humanity with rubbish. That’s why most companies unfortunately don’t take advantage of technological possibilities.
HOW...
How do you deal with the extremes of reactions to your work, and how do they influence your creative process?
Opinions are not ideas. Opinions are opinions. As long as feedback is given constructively in the sense of a solution, you can learn from it and improve the result. But if feedback is simply an unqualified opinion, then in most cases it is more likely to destroy than to create something great.
How do you authentically integrate the emotions of love and anger into your creative expression and use them as catalysts for innovative ideas?
I have always loved my job as a creative, looking for the best possible solutions. This love has been felt by all my clients, but also by all the people who have come into contact with my ideas. Anger is important because anger, if channelled correctly, can release a lot of energy, so that you can persevere and keep fighting for the best possible solution.
How do you live your values of aspiration, respect, and integrity in your daily life? How do you address injustice and advocate for yourself and others? What does “home” mean to you, and how does this feeling manifest in your life given your experiences of loss and displacement?
As I said, I have a very healthy value system. This value system says that you should respect and value everyone. But this value system also says that you should defend yourself if you are treated unfairly, unqualified opinions or other vile things happen to you. Home is just a feeling for me. It allows me to remain courageous, free and consistent. No matter where, no matter how and no matter when.
To live is to suffer; to survive is to find meaning in suffering. How can we find deeper meaning and achieve a state of fulfilment in the face of life’s absurdity, as Friedrich Nietzsche postulated?
Life makes no sense in forward motion. Everyone who has tried this in history has failed. Life only makes sense in retrospect, because you can post-rationalize the irrational, the instinctive, the unpredictable and connect all the dots in retrospect
WHICH...
What positive and negative experiences can you explain from your two most important campaigns?
I’m not known for my campaigns. They would reduce me to colourful pictures and funny texts. I’m known for being able to add value to an undershirt with my creativity and make brands successful. Campaigns are advertising. Anyone can do advertising and soon even AI will be better than anyone.
Which aspects of your advertising career do you consider particularly effective for creative collaboration with designers, architects, and artists, and how do they support your current work?Creativity is a collaborative process. Ideally, brilliant minds come together with a shared vision and work as a team to create the best possible, original and innovative solution to a problem. The best solution is always the most effective, efficient and successful.
You have repeatedly said that you have no feelings of home for Iran because you came to Austria early and feel more Austrian. How is it now? Do you miss your roots, perhaps solely for family reasons?
The older you get, the more you long for your own roots. But I can’t go to Iran, so you have to accept that.
You have repeatedly said that you have no feelings of home for Iran because you came to Austria early and feel more Austrian. How is it now? Do you miss your roots, perhaps solely for family reasons?
The older you get, the more you long for your own roots. But I can’t go to Iran, so you have to accept that.
Perhaps especially now, when young creatives from the homeland long for real heroes, are you the right role model for them? How do you see your role in this context?
I am not an idol. I am living proof that you can achieve anything in life with passion, determination and tenacity. And if that inspires or motivates people, then so be it.
FINAL WORDS FOR THE YOUNG CREATIVES...
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.”
— Muhammad Ali
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Iran, raised in Austria, and having studied in France, Amir Kassaei is a creative mind, entrepreneur, investor, and speaker. With experience at renowned agencies like TBWA and Springer & Jacoby, where he rose to the position of Executive Creative Director for Mercedes-Benz and Smart, he has significantly influenced the advertising landscape. As Global Chief Creative Officer of DDB Worldwide from 2011 to 2019, he led the network to numerous accolades. In 2017, he founded the agency C14torce in Barcelona, which propelled Seat to become the fastest-growing automotive brand in Europe. In 2020, he stepped back from the advertising industry and founded the architecture and Design agency BuresQ, as well as the fashion brand H4H. Amir Kassaei is a visionary driving innovation and creativity across various industries.
THANKS
We would like to thank Peter Erik Hillenbach and Maggie Hohle for the co-operation.