Eoghan Ryan on Messing with Cameras and Telling Stories
Producer and founder at Rubberduck, Eoghan Ryan has nearly 30 years of advertising experience behind his back. With six artistic siblings - across all the arts - and two sculptor parents, Eoghan believes his path in creativity was carved out for him. Except, he was the “black-legged bastard” that went into advertising instead.
After a year studying retailing and spending three years doing a communications degree, Eoghan got his foot through the door of the creative industry, making tea and coffee at Windmill Sound Studios. That’s where he also bagged his first free pair of Doc Martens, because he promptly told the boss he was doing more steps than the whole company combined.
After a strong start, Eoghan started climbing the creative ladder with two things in mind - to mess with cameras and to tell stories. Later on came a pivotal moment in his career, where he moved to Warsaw to establish one of the first international advertising agencies in Poland - Saatchi and Saatchi Bates. “They were [some] lunatics to make the break and I duly obliged,” he says of the experience.
Within three years of the agency’s inception, it had become the highest billing one in Eastern Europe, producing over 80 TV commercials a year and being one of the first to introduce the talking M&Ms to the world beyond the US. Throughout this time, Eoghan was head of TV, radio and print production, and an account handler for some of the largest global brands including Masterfoods, PepsiCo, P&G and Schwarzkopf.
A real ‘work hard, play hard’ experience, Warsaw came to its end to open up Eoghan to be “braver and bolder” as he puts it. Going back to Ireland, he kept a piece of Poland with him and… went to cooking school. But, he soon realised that people in catering work way harder than creatives, so he went back to advertising.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Eoghan to find out about what he is doing today as founder at Rubberduck, and what 30 years of advertising has taught him.
LBB> Eoghan, tell me a bit about your upbringing – what role did creativity play in it and did you always know you would take it up as a career later on?
Eoghan> I was raised the youngest of seven kids, all of whom were involved in the arts. My mother and father were sculptors, I have four sisters - a graphic artist, a weaver and a food stylist, I have two brothers one an architect the other a sculptor.
Two of us escaped, my sister became a business woman, running a food company, and I was the black-legged bastard that went into advertising, an industry my parents were highly suspicious of. So, in terms of inspiration to join a creative industry? Well, I didn’t really have a choice.
I do however remember my experience walking into the creative department of an advertising agency for the first time – I was shocked to see creatives referencing magazines, movies and other creative formats as they developed mood boards to help their clients understand ideas.
I initially studied retailing in college, after which I spent three years studying for a degree in communications. However, I didn’t see communications as being creative – I just thought it was messing with cameras and trying to tell stories.
I'm still messing with cameras and telling stories – the only difference is there is usually a packshot at the end. Oh, and that one year studying retailing has come in really handy!
LBB> What were the first professional steps you took towards entering the creative industries and what are some lessons you learned from those early days that you still carry with you?
Eoghan> My first job was as a runner, making tea and coffee at Windmill Sound Studios during the recording of ‘The Joshua Tree’ by some band from Dublin and ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ by a bunch of hippies from Scotland. I managed to convince the management to buy me a pair of company shoes as I was doing more than my fair share of steps per day. I bagged a brand new pair of Docs that day.
Two major lessons from then have stayed, which I still go by: ‘Never hire anyone that you think could be dumber than yourself’ and ‘Try and work with people you can learn from’.
LBB> You established one of the first ever advertising agencies in Poland - Saatchi and Saatchi Bates - how did you end up there and what was that experience like?
Eoghan> P&G wanted to get into the Eastern European market so they asked Saatchi to open an agency in Warsaw.
Saatchi’s had an Irish guy who was running an agency for them in Saudi – so they offered him the gig. I had worked with him in Dublin as had Des Mullan, who is one of Rubberduck’s commercial directors. They were looking for other lunatics to make the break, and I duly obliged.
LBB> How did Saatchi’s major success in Warsaw change your career from that point onwards?
Eoghan> Moving to Warsaw to work for Saatchi changed my career totally.
Polish people are seriously cool. Irish people have a lot in common with them. We worked together with other agency folks from all over the world and in our first year there, we produced over 80 TV commercials.
It was a real work hard, play hard ethic – we had lots of fun. I have a friend that came to visit from Dublin for a long weekend – 30 years later he is still there. He fell for a Polish lady, God help her, got married, and had two kids that speak English with Dublin accents. I still go back to Warsaw as much as I can – I'm very connected to the place. I was sad to leave Poland but I had become braver and bolder.
LBB> What were some projects that you believe built up your vision and levelled you up during that time?
Eoghan> As I am sure you are aware, Poland has an excellent film and animation industry.
One of my biggest achievements there was to convince the brand manager from Masterfoods Poland that we had the expertise in Warsaw to animate the two M&M characters and matt them onto live action. I think it was one of the first times M&M had been animated outside of the US. The commercial was based on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale – or if I'm not mistaken, ‘Jaś I Małgosia’ in Polish. In the end, the two M&M Characters help Jaś i Małgosia escape from the witch’s house in the woods.
LBB> And when the time did come to be braver and bolder, and to come back to Ireland, how was that experience for you? How did you decide to set up Rocket Science Productions?
Eoghan> On my return from Poland, I had the romantic idea of becoming a restaurateur. After spending three months learning how to cook with Darina Allen in Ballymaloe Cookery School, I realised that people in catering work harder than I had ever worked in advertising, and if you make a mistake it can be catastrophic. So, I went back to the advertising life with my tail between my legs. This time however, I bagged a job at a production company. I stayed there for two years before setting up Rocket.
More recently, we set up Rubberduck, aiming specifically at online marketing content.
LBB> How has Irish creativity changed over the years in your eyes?
Eoghan> Like in all other markets, advertising has become laser focussed – we can pin down target markets really clearly now – so, it's easier to talk to who we are looking to talk to. The big challenge remains the same though – making sure those you are talking to are listening. And the only way through is still a good idea.
LBB> What is something that you’re proud of when it comes to the industry you’re in and your particular role in it?
Eoghan> With the new age of creatives, crews and technologies, there is a more sharing environment – people no longer protect their abilities with a view to becoming experts in their respective fields. One would think this would dilute talent but watching, talking and sharing is having the opposite effect. There is a lot of young talent out there that is happy to share knowledge, which makes for a more creative environment as a whole. I’m learning a lot.
LBB> And what is something that frustrates you?
Eoghan> Those folks who are still protectionist – thankfully a dying breed.
LBB> What is your favourite way to decompress in your free time?
Eoghan> Barry’s tea, Mikado biscuits and ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’.
