Atiya Zaidi

CEO and CCO of BBDO Pakistan

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Atiya Zaidi is a CEO and CCO at BBDO Pakistan. She says she has built her career by saying yes to things and working out the details later. She ran a session on inclusive marketing with another creative.

Early life and background

Zaidi was born in Karachi and moved to Saudi Arabia when she was three. She says Saudi Arabia was very closed when she was growing up. She describes her childhood in Saudi Arabia as very safe. Her father used to work for AT&T. Her father worked on bringing mobile to Saudi Arabia. [1]

Her father suffered second and third-degree burns over more than 80% of his body. Her father was in a hospital for two years. Her father said that what had happened had happened and that he would move forward. She says her siblings are all workaholics, which she attributes to their father. [1]

Education

Zaidi completed high school in Saudi Arabia. She finished her schooling in 1997. She moved to Karachi and lived in a hostel, where her elder sister, who was studying social work at a university, already lived. She had planned to apply to medical colleges. She completed a correspondence writing course from a school in Singapore. [1]

She did not finish her university degree and completed two years of a bachelor's course. She left after two years, saying the course taught her little. She says life experience taught her more than her education did. [1]

Central Saint Martins rejected her application. She was accepted to Chelsea College of Arts and Design, with the foundation course waived. She studied design for communication. [1]

Career

She says she has built her career by saying yes to things and working out the details later. She ran a session on inclusive marketing with another creative. [1]

Personal life

Zaidi left about three months after her marriage. Her husband stayed in Pakistan because of his job. She became pregnant. Her son was born in Pakistan. When she went back, her son was nine months old and went with her. She had about three months of her first year left when she went back. Friends watched her son, and she watched their children. [1]

She describes herself as a big nerd who reads a lot. [1]

Views

Zaidi says she does not think of herself as a victim. She says she lives by a 10/90 principle, in which 10% of life is outside one's control. She says 90% of life is about how a person reacts to that 10%. [1]

She says advertising is always about solving a problem. She says advertising is commercial art, not art. She says a creative work has done its job if it makes people feel something. She says advertising people take themselves too seriously. She says she found she had an unconscious bias toward housewives that she had not known about. [1]

She says advertising can be a force for good if it is used without bad intentions. She says advertising can teach people everyday rituals. She says purpose is now a demand from consumers. [1]

She says digital media has made it hard to get away with bad work. She says advertising must adapt to where the consumer is. She says TV is still the biggest medium in Pakistan. She says perhaps only about 8% of global ads show people over 65. She says the average tenure of a chief marketing officer is now no more than three years. [1]

She describes psychological safety as the freedom to make mistakes. She says one should be transparent with a team, explaining the situation and the reason behind a decision. She says no job is big or small. [1]

Timeline

1997
Finished her schooling.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2023-09-22 Why a brand is a story you agree to believe Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Where is Atiya Zaidi from?

Atiya Zaidi was born in Karachi. She moved to Saudi Arabia when she was three and completed high school there. She then moved to Karachi.[1]

Where did Atiya Zaidi study?

Atiya Zaidi was accepted to Chelsea College of Arts and Design, with the foundation course waived, and studied design for communication. She completed a correspondence writing course from a school in Singapore. She also completed two years of a bachelor's course without finishing the degree.[1]

What campaigns has Atiya Zaidi worked on?

Atiya Zaidi worked on the HBL Mr. Bean campaign. She describes a recent EBM campaign called School Girls Newscasters, in which her team had schoolgirls read the news.[1]

What does Atiya Zaidi think about advertising?

Atiya Zaidi says advertising is always about solving a problem. She says advertising is commercial art, not art. She says it can be a force for good if it is used without bad intentions.[1]

References

  1. Why a brand is a story you agree to believe . Thought Behind Things , 2023-09-22.
Show the source passages (71 statements)
  1. She was born in Karachi and moved to Saudi Arabia when she was three. Was born in Karachi, but when I was three years old, we moved to Saudi Arabia.
  2. Her father used to work for AT&T. My father used to work in AT&T.
  3. Her father worked on bringing mobile to Saudi Arabia. he worked on when bringing mobile to Saudi Arabia
  4. Her father suffered second and third-degree burns over more than 80% of his body. So, he had second and third-degree burns on more than 80% of his body.
  5. Her father was in a hospital for two years. And he was in Jinnah Hospital for two years.
  6. Her father said that what had happened had happened and that he would move forward. He said, 'Haan, ho gaya. I'm going to now move forward.'
  7. She says her siblings are all workaholics, which she attributes to their father. and I think all of our siblings, we are all workaholics because of him.
  8. She says Saudi Arabia was very closed when she was growing up. It was very closed, it was very controlled. There was no music shops, there was no cinema.
  9. She describes her childhood in Saudi Arabia as very safe. it was a very safe childhood
  10. She completed high school in Saudi Arabia. Yeah, I did my high school from there, and then after that, I came to Karachi.
  11. She finished her schooling in 1997. This was 1997 when I graduated.
  12. She moved to Karachi and lived in a hostel, where her elder sister, who was studying social work at a university, already lived. Yeah, my elder sister was already studying social work at Karachi University, toh woh hostel mein hi rehti thin. So, I also moved in the hostel.
  13. She had planned to apply to medical colleges. I'll apply in medical colleges and I'll get, and I had the marks for it also, but then just by chance, I ran into like an old family friend
  14. An old family friend asked whether she could write. aur unhone kaha ke tumko kuch likhna vikhna aata hai
  15. She completed a correspondence writing course from a school in Singapore. I had done a like a correspondence course in from the writing school in Singapore
  16. She describes herself as a big nerd who reads a lot. I'm a big nerd, I read a lot
  17. She started working for Dawn. So, yeah, so I then started working for Dawn
  18. At 17 she sat in front of a Pizza Hut CEO to interview him. I'm 17, you know, sitting in front of a CEO of Pizza Hut and trying to take his interview
  19. Her first agency interview was at an agency that is now Leo Burnett. So then I went for my first interview in an agency which is called Adcom, Leo Burnett now
  20. She did an internship at the agency and decided advertising would be her career. So I did an internship and I said, 'Bas ab toh yehi karna hai zindagi mein.'
  21. She asked to work part-time because she found university too boring. Mujhe aap part-time rakh lein because the university is too boring, you know.
  22. She worked part-time at an agency that is now called Synergy. It was called at that time Awan and Kapadia. Now that agency is called Synergy.
  23. She did not finish her university degree and completed two years of a bachelor's course. I didn't finish that university degree, I just did a bachelors like do saal.
  24. She left after two years, saying the course taught her little. I left after two years and then I was like, 'Ah, yeh toh kuch nahi padha rahe mujhe, mujhe toh yahan zyada seekhne ko mil raha hai,'
  25. She says life experience taught her more than her education did. I think life experiences taught me more. You know, that's the problem with an education, right?
  26. She then returned full-time to an agency where she had been before. then I went to Adcom again for full-time
  27. Central Saint Martins rejected her application. So the first college, which was Central Saint Martins, and all of them were from the same university, University of the Arts London, they said ke, 'You're rejected.'
  28. She was accepted to Chelsea College of Arts and Design, with the foundation course waived. The third school, which was the Chelsea College of Arts and Design, they called me up, again on the landline, did a big interview, and then they said, 'Okay, approved. We waive your foundation course, you don't have to do that, you can get do it in three years.'
  29. She studied design for communication. I did design for communication.
  30. She left about three months after her marriage. married for three months, and then I left and he was here.
  31. Her husband stayed in Pakistan because of his job. So he was in Pakistan because of his job, he couldn't go.
  32. She became pregnant. And lo and behold, I got pregnant.
  33. She had about three months of her first year left when she went back. I still had like three months left in the first year, so I went back.
  34. Her son was born in Pakistan. mera beta Pakistan mein paida hua.
  35. When she went back, her son was nine months old and went with her. jab main wapas gayi toh woh nau mahine ka tha, toh woh mere saath gaya.
  36. Friends watched her son, and she watched their children. they would watch my son, you know, I would watch their kids
  37. She says she does not think of herself as a victim. I never think ke that we are the victim.
  38. She says she lives by a 10/90 principle, in which 10% of life is outside one's control. ke 10/90 ka principle hota hai. 10% aapki life aapke control mein nahi hai.
  39. She says 90% of life is about how a person reacts to that 10%. But 90% of your life is all how you react to that 10%.
  40. She says advertising is always about solving a problem. Advertising is always about solving a problem.
  41. She says she found she had an unconscious bias toward housewives that she had not known about. So it means I have an unconscious bias towards housewife which I did not know, right?
  42. She says advertising is commercial art, not art. So advertising is not art, it's commercial art.
  43. She says a creative work has done its job if it makes people feel something. Anytime that a creative piece, chahe advertising ho, chahe art ho, it makes you feel something, it has done its job.
  44. She says advertising people take themselves too seriously. advertising we take ourselves too seriously also.
  45. She worked on the HBL Mr. Bean campaign. I worked on the Mr. Bean campaign for HBL, if you remember that.
  46. She says she is immensely proud of one piece of work she did for a client. the Shan work that I did for Doctor Bahu, I'm immensely I'm proud of it.
  47. She describes a recent EBM campaign called School Girls Newscasters. Even the EBM work that we did recently for the it was called the school girls newscasters.
  48. In the EBM campaign, her team had schoolgirls read the news. humne school ki bachchiyon se khabrein padhwai
  49. She says girls' education is often seen as a nice-to-have rather than a must-have in Pakistan. Ladki ki padhai is seen as a shauq or good to have, not a must have.
  50. She says advertising can be a force for good if it is used without bad intentions. Advertising can be a force for good if you use it without mal intentions.
  51. She says advertising can teach people everyday rituals. It's an it's advertising that taught you a ritual that you should do this.
  52. She says digital media has made it hard to get away with bad work. the biggest difference that it has made is that you cannot get away with bad work now.
  53. She says advertising must adapt to where the consumer is. regardless of where your consumer is, advertising will have to adapt itself to the consumer.
  54. She says TV is still the biggest medium in Pakistan. Pakistan mein TV is still the biggest, right?
  55. She says perhaps only about 8% of global ads show people over 65. sirf shayad duniya mein koi 8% ads hain globally jo above 65 ko dikhate hain.
  56. She says purpose is now a demand from consumers. So all I'm saying is that purpose is a demand from a consumer now.
  57. She says Pakistan is the fifth most generous nation on earth. Pakistan is the fifth most generous nation on earth.
  58. She says the average tenure of a chief marketing officer is now no more than three years. the average lifespan of a chief marketing officer, jo marketing ka sabse bada hota hoga, is not more than three years now
  59. She describes psychological safety as the freedom to make mistakes. Psychological safety is galti karo, jao.
  60. She says one should be transparent with a team, explaining the situation and the reason behind a decision. So you be transparent with them. You tell them this is the situation, this is the reason behind my decision.
  61. She says no job is big or small. In my book, there is no job which is big or small.
  62. She says she is hopeful about Pakistan's future, citing its population of 220 million. I think we will not fail. Because there's 220 million of us.
  63. She describes Pakistan as a nuclear power. We are a nuclear power.
  64. She says Pakistan will change through evolution rather than revolution. And revolutions are bloody, evolution is how species survive and they thrive
  65. She says she has built her career by saying yes to things and working out the details later. I just keep saying yes to things and I'll say, 'I'll figure it out later.'
  66. She describes her job as telling stories for brands. I think overall, in the end of the day, I tell stories.
  67. She ran a session on inclusive marketing with another creative. I was doing a session with another creative, it was on inclusive marketing, so I had to run that session.
  68. She is CEO and CCO at BBDO Pakistan. Atiya Zaidi is the CEO and CCO at BBDO Pakistan.
  69. She says the stories behind a product give it more value than its function. It's the stories behind it which have more power and which makes you pay up and cough up and give it that value that you think.
  70. She says perceived value differs from real value, and advertising creates the perception of value. So, perceived value is different from real value, and what advertising does is creates perception of value.
  71. She says brands live in collective imagination. brands live in collective imagination. How everything else lives in collective imagination.