If you have ever walked out of local home décor supermart IKEA with a carrier in hand that is tagged, “Make Room For Ideas”, then you have seen the genius of City Harvest’s own idea-smith Troy Lim.
Troy is an award-winning copywriter who flies the creative flag high, brewing wild advertising concepts for a host of famous client brands that include Visa, MTV and DBS.
We sit Troy down on the City News Couch of Truth, and pick his brains on what keeps his creative juices flowing.
CITYNEWS: We adore your work. Which ad agencies have you honed your craft at?
TROY: Thanks, I’ve been working at Ogilvy & Mather Singapore for a little over three years now. Ex-agencies include Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO and Lowe.
CITYNEWS: What are some of the more familiar ads you have done?
TROY: One of my personal favorites is a TV spot for SilkAir in which a man finds himself stalked by a native. It turns out that it was an unforgettable memory he got while on a SilkAir holiday. You may also remember a Visa Mini commercial in which everything shrinks, including a guy’s derriere. How about the DBS Live Fresh where a girl walks through an ideal world completely made up of cardboard buildings and a painted backdrop. Oh yes, I always get a kick when I see someone carrying an IKEA carrier with the tagline I wrote: “Make room for ideas”.
CITYNEWS: You’re brimming with ideas; we especially love the concepts you’ve done for Ikea, Tiger Beer Pajero… Where do you get your inspiration from?
TROY: I’m inspired by anything and everything around me. If there’s no input, there won’t be any output. So I make it a point to observe and look out for new ideas, be it in movies, music, design or on the Internet, for example.
CITYNEWS: Some say the advertising industry is full of ethical blackholes. How do you reconcile your Christian beliefs with your role in the marketplace?
TROY: Being in a creative industry, stress levels can go through the roof, especially when you’re expected to come up with creative ideas on demand. But when I start praying, I begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And inevitably, with a little faith, the solutions will come.
CITYNEWS: What are some awards you’ve won?
TROY: During the first two years of my career, I was voted Best New English Copywriter at the Singapore Creative Circle Awards. When I turned 30, I was awarded two Gold Bullets at YoungGuns, an international award for Creative talents under 30. In the past two years, I won Gold Lions at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival. In New York, I’ve also won One Show Gold Pencils.
CITYNEWS: How has your success in the marketplace helped you to make an impact for God?
TROY: I’d like to think that I’m a positive role-model for young people in the industry. That said, I believe God has even greater things in store that will allow me to make an even greater impact in the world for Him!
Fire up your imaginations at Troy ‘s online portfolio of wicked ideas – www.troylim.com
