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Yucel ERDOGAN
CCO | AVRETT FREE GINSBERG
Yucel is co-Chief Creative Officer at afg& where he directs the creative vision, strategy and artwork for the agency’s clients. Afg& is an agency in the IPG family of companies. Prior to afg&, Yucel was Creative Director for Blue Flame, part of P Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment where he directed all creative for Ciroc vodka and Deleon tequila. He has worked as a freelance director, photographer and illustrator, and as Art Director for smaller agencies early in his career. Yucel also paints and does interior and industrial design, and has exhibited in New York. Born and raised in Turkey, he earned a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and has built his career in NYC.
questionnaire
What was your very first job?
Art Director, Publicis, Istanbul.
Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails.
My job is to create concepts and ideas for clients that help them achieve their communications goals. I try to always do work that pushes boundaries, encourages clients and their audiences think differently, and strive for beautiful work.
How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was the train of events that brought you to where you are today?
It was the serendipity of a client in my father’s grocery store in Turkey seeing the art I had drawn on our counter. He encouraged me to go to art school. Having grown up in a small town in Turkey it wouldn’t have occurred to me or my parents that I had artistic talent. I was 15. I’ll be forever grateful for that life-changing moment.
In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant?
I look at tons of photography and film on Instagram, and some print periodicals including the always beautiful NY Times special edition magazine. I keep up to date on the zeitgeist listening to NPR and Ted Talks on long drives upstate.
If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry "success," what would it be?
Probably a Tumi print campaign from a number of years ago. But I like to think my best work is still to come…
