Creative catch-up: Fishermen's Adam Miranda and Andrew Tan

In an industry obsessed with the next big trend, Adam Miranda (pictured left) and Andrew Tan (pictured right) have built their careers by looking in the opposite direction. Rather than chasing what's popular, the Fishermen Integrated co-founders believe the strongest ideas are the ones that couldn't belong to anyone else. It's a philosophy that has helped shape the agency into one of Malaysia's most recognised independents, with work that has earned both commercial success and industry acclaim.

Together, the duo have spent more than a decade steering Fishermen Integrated while navigating an advertising landscape that has transformed dramatically around them. Before Fishermen, Miranda honed his craft across networks including Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO and Y&R, experiences that continue to shape his perspective on creativity today.

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A+M: What does creativity mean to you today, and how has your definition of it evolved over your career?

Miranda: When I started in this business, creativity was about being random, funny, or clever enough to stand out. Then it evolved into being entertaining. Today, it's about not being boring, because too much of the work out there already is.

Tan: Creativity has always been about being in a playground with like-minded people. From working in a network agency to managing a creative agency today, the question is still the same, how can I have fun with this brief?

A+M: What makes creativity truly unique in your view, especially in an industry where ideas are constantly being shaped by trends and constraints?

Miranda: If everyone is doing ideas shaped by trends and the like, then a good creative person knows how to not just do what everyone else is doing.

Tan: A truly unique creative idea is when the idea itself is for the brand and the brand only. Trend and constraints are just a lever.

A+M: With marketing becoming increasingly driven by data and performance metrics, how do you personally protect and develop your creative intuition?

Miranda: Data and metrics tell you where the goalposts are. Creativity is playing the game and scoring the goals.

For Adam Miranda and Andrew Tan, creativity has never been about chasing trends or following formulas. Instead, it's about creating ideas that are unmistakably ownable, resisting the temptation to blend into an increasingly crowded industry, and remembering that the smallest spark can become career-defining work.

As co-founders and executive creative directors of Fishermen Integrated, the duo have spent more than a decade building one of Malaysia's most recognised independent agencies, following careers across networks including Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO and Y&R. In this edition of Creative Catch-up, Miranda and Tan reflect on how their views on creativity have evolved, why bold ideas still need clients willing to champion them, and what they believe the Malaysian creative industry must do to reclaim its creative edge.

Tan: Creativity and insights are never apart. They work hand in hand. The challenge is how do you bring that insight to life creatively.

A+M: Do you experience creative fatigue? What does that look like for you, and how do you navigate through it?

Miranda: I have a crazy love for ideas, and that gets me through many moments when I think I've hit a brick wall. But like anyone, you can become tired of certain ways of working, or simply the outcome of a job. That's when it's important to step away for a while or be in an environment where the love for ideas still burns brightly.

Tan: Creative fatigue happens when ideas are not coming through. When we know what stopping ideas coming to life, we will solve the creative fatigue problem.

A+M: Can you share a personal moment where you were stuck on a brief, and eventually found a breakthrough idea in an unexpected way?

Miranda & Tan: In the early days of Fishermen, we were working late into the night on a campaign. The whiteboard was full of ideas, but none seemed like a winner, so we simply kept at it. Around 1 a.m., while we were chatting, someone had an idea about a talking cat. And that's when BSN Bank's "Kucing Happy" was born. It wasn't a dramatic eureka moment. We were all sleepy. But it was good enough for us to go home excited. If we packed up earlier, that idea would never have existed, and we would never have made creative history with it.

A+M: Creativity is highly subjective. How do you personally process feedback or criticism when it challenges your work?

Miranda: By constantly reminding myself that I am a mature, professional, reasonably calm person.

Tan: Take it with a smile, probe further question, listen between the lines, either way, try my best to at least learn something from the outcome.

A+M: Looking back at the Malaysian creative industry, what shifts have stood out most to you, both in the work and in how agencies operate?

Miranda: We've seen more independent agencies pop up while many holding-company agencies rethink how they operate. Whichever model you choose, I suspect the agencies that stay lean, adaptable, and retain a start-up mentality are the ones most likely to do well.

Tan: The creative industry players are now chasing tails rather than leading the way. Network agencies resizing, people losing jobs etc. We are now leading with who has the best numbers rather than bold work.

A+M: Beyond your own experience, what do you think the Malaysian creative scene needs more of right now to grow in a meaningful way?

Miranda: Less unnecessary pitching. More protection for ideas and creative work.

Tan: Apart from time and budget, I think we need more clients that champion bold ideas. A brand is as good as the person behind it.

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