Creative Q&A: Bates 141 Singapore's Ken Tan

How did you get into advertising?

Officially, I was headhunted.

The unofficial story goes like this: Ken was a late bloomer. With no apparent destiny knocking on his door, he was doomed to a perpetual state of idle. After discovering the infinite world of the internet through his first personal computer, to use a cliche, the rest is history. He taught himself design, web development, and more importantly, the art of marketing himself as a creative. The natural decision was to start his own company to handle the flow of demanding projects and clients.

Seven years later, officially, I was headhunted.

What was your first ever ad?

Funny you ask. I was 12 when I had to fund my model-kit hobby. I took the initiative to draw up a series of ads that featured little objects around the house I thought I could profit from. I managed to raise quite a substantial amount, much to my parents' frustration!

What was your first ever job?

I interned at a now defunct digital agency as a web designer. It was my first foray into the corporate world, which revealed many aspects, both engaging and ugly.

What was your worst job ever?

I can't say that I have a worst job as I've always been in the same circle, but if I perceive "job" as a "project", then I have many nightmares over the span of my career. Perhaps the worst would be a job for an architecture firm that took endless rounds of revisions, and by the end of the ninth month, the client still could not decide which creative direction to go with. I decided to cut my losses and closed the job, walking away with my sanity.

What does it take to impress you?

Good question. The ability to think big. More often than not, our job requires us to look at things from every possible angle, in rare occasions, those that don't even exist. I like things that make me uncomfortable. Other criteria in no particular order - style, taste, typography and use of colour.

Where do you go to be inspired?

The toilet! No seriously, there's no better place to have some "me-time" and contemplate on the day's events. It also makes for a good reading room.

If you can spend one day with a celebrity or historical figure, who would it be? Why?

Andy Warhol. I collect art and follow the art world religiously. He was a genius at marketing and marrying design with sales. And there's no denying how he was a master at re-inventing himself as a brand too. His creativity had no bounds and I can't imagine how fun it would have been to sit for one of his famous portraits.

What is your guilty pleasure?

As mentioned above... art. There's so much to learn from the art world. From Damien Hirst (today's Warhol to that respect of marketing in my opinion), to deep thinkers like Matisse, it's an endless journey of discovery and provocation. It's collectable too! As it is, I'm running out of space at home and it's a shame to hide them in storage.

If you have to come back as an animal, what would you be? Why?

A cat would be the choice by elimination. Have you considered the life of a cat? Or mine at least.
You wake only for food or when nature calls. You scream if you don't get what you want on your plate, but still you get all the loving attention in the world.

What is the last book you read?

'Hey Whipple, Squeeze This'. Always a refreshing read. I have it by my side always.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up?

I check my Instagram account on the iPhone. I'm obsessed with reaching a hundred "likes" to every photo I post. It's a game of hashtags and content, and engaging your "fans". The challenge is in framing a subject that will resonate with the community, and yet still be faithful to your own sense of style.

Worst haircut you’ve ever had?

I've had three. It was the nineties. My friends had kept their hair long and treated to accentuate "golden" streaks. I followed. The next bad haircut was when my school headmaster decided to put a rice bowl on my golden streaks and chop off my bangs round the circumference of the bowl. I had to shave everything off after that. I still live with my third.

Describe your typical day.

Wake. Toilet. Instagram. Charge Phone. Facebook. Deal with cat. Make breakfast. Coffee. Facebook. Mashable. Hypebeast. Annoy wife. Commute.
Coffee. Say hi to everyone at work. Cigarettes. Check email. Work. Brainstorm. Meetings. Create. Email. Cigarettes. Work. Lunch. Cigarettes. Work.
Brainstorm. Emails. Meetings. Work. Cigarettes. Work. Make plans. Dinner and Drinks. Socialise. Annoy wife. Deal with cat. Toilet. Sleep. Repeat.

Can you suggest a question for our next Q&A candidate?

1 + 1 = ?

It's in the same vein as The Aristocrat joke or the age old chicken crossing dilemma. There's always a lateral answer.

If you had one day to live, how would you spend it? (Question provided by Grey Group’s Ali Shabaz)

See answer to Question 13 (Describe your typical day). Thanks!