Creative catch-up: Havas' Donevan Chew

In an industry increasingly pulled towards AI, data and the next big trend, the case for creativity has never been stronger. The challenge, however, is not simply producing more ideas, but knowing which ones are worth pursuing.

For Havas Malaysia chief creative officer Donevan Chew, the answer lies in returning to the fundamentals: ideas that surprise, move people and give brands something meaningful to say.

With more than two decades in Malaysia's creative industry, Chew has worked across Ogilvy, BBDO, Muma and Havas Malaysia. In this edition of Creative catch-up, he shares why creativity remains an "unfair advantage", how data should inform rather than dictate ideas, and why Malaysia's cultural richness offers brands plenty of stories still waiting to be told.

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

Creativity is like the plot twist in a movie. The punchline of a joke. It surprises. It delights. It opens your eyes to things you’ve never seen and experiences you’ve never felt. It helps brands engage with their consumers on a deeper, more emotional level, turning consumers into fans. That’s the power of creativity.

Although the medium through which creativity is delivered has become more diverse, the essence of what creativity does stays the same — it moves people.

Legendary adman Bill Bernbach once said, “Creativity is the last unfair advantage we’re legally allowed to take over our competitors.” And this still rings true today.

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

The unique thing about creativity is that it can change in shape, size and form. Like roaches, creativity can adapt itself to fit the environment it needs to be in. But unlike roaches, a great idea attracts people.

I’ve been in this industry long enough to believe that we will never run out of creativity. Every trend, every constraint, every moment in time can inspire it. The more people engage with the world around them, the more ideas will form in their minds.

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

Data and performance metrics inform what we need to do, but they do not tell us how to do it. In fact, in 2023, Nielsen reported that the quality of a campaign’s creative has a 47% impact on sales, outpacing all other variables — including reach, targeting and brand equity. Data points everyone in the same direction; what makes you stand out is creativity.

Of course, knowing that creativity works is one thing. Being bold enough to take the leap is another. It’s scary, because usually, that means doing something you’ve not done before.

But we need to start somewhere. Instead of just lamenting that clients will never buy bold ideas, I share with them what great ideas look like. And with every project we do, we try to push them to leap further and further. 

Harnessing creative intuition should happen on both sides — client and agency. Only when we all know what good and effective creativity looks like will we develop that gut feel for which creative leap we should take.

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

Sometimes, the team is stuck and expects you to say something brilliant to free them from their misery. But you are just as stuck as they are. It’s a bad feeling when this happens.

I’d take my mind off the job. Go for a solo run. It somehow clears my mind. And inspiration comes.

I’ll also look at winning ideas from reputable creative award shows. They can help you see the challenge in a different way.

Having said that, sometimes getting stuck is just part of the thinking process. When you have purged all the expected ideas, you’ll find yourself struggling to break out. At this point, don’t give up. Do what you need to clear your thoughts and get inspired. When your mind finally breaks free, you’ll find yourself in a better space.

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?

There was once when we were pitching for our national carrier, Malaysia Airlines. They wanted a brand platform. After numerous late nights exploring every possible airline cliché and exhausting every wordplay for “fly” and “air”, nothing hit the right spot.

Then we took a step back and went to the pride of the airline — their crew. They prided themselves on winning world’s best cabin crew year after year. It made sense because at 36,000 feet, you can’t just walk out on bad service!

And we realised who you travel with is as important as how you travel. It’s the same in life — it is the people around us who make our life journey that much more meaningful. That was how we landed on “Journeys are made by the people you travel with.”

We looked beyond the product and connected the brand to a human truth. That made the airline more relatable, more human. And we won the business. 

Chew developed the campaign line, but was not involved in the creation of the ad. 

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

I don’t fully agree that creativity is subjective. Art is subjective. But when it comes to creativity in marketing, there is science behind the madness. It is informed by the brief, data and strategy. And when this foundation is solid, it all depends on the creative prowess of the agency and the appetite of the client.

This comes with experience and exposure. The more great ideas you immerse yourself in, the better your judgement of the work becomes.

Every piece of feedback and criticism has the potential to sharpen the idea. As long as we are clear which feedback is strategic, and which is a matter of personal opinion.

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?

For one, the AI wave that has swept across the world has touched us too, with agencies and brands trying to be the first to jump on AI trends. But it is starting to become apparent that consumers are calling brands out for abusing AI to develop cheap and quick content, instead of engaging meaningfully with them.

Ad legend David Abott aptly put it: “Sh*t that arrives at the speed of light, is still sh*t”. AI is a very empowering tool but human judgement and taste should be the ultimate deciding factor.

Another thing is that the industry is becoming hyper-local, with an increasing focus on capturing the Malay market. Well, it is the largest consumer segment after all. But when every brand is doing that specific genre of Malay comedy, creating music videos and going colloquial with campaign lines, we need great ideas to stand out even more than before.

Last month, at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, we saw many brands leveraging market-specific insights to tell their brand stories in a way that captures the hearts of the people:

I truly believe that Malaysia and its rich heritage have unique cultural stories waiting to be told. And the world is waiting to hear them.

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?

What we need is to return to the core fundamentals of the industry — it’s all about ideas. Before the next launch, before the next influencer engagement, before jumping on the next social trend, take a moment to think. Ask: what is the clever idea behind that launch? What is the buzz-worthy idea that influencers will rally around? What is the memorable idea that will make a trend relevant to the brand? Ideas define where the brand is heading, and we should not leave that up to influencers or trends.

We need clients and agencies to work together to give bigger and bolder ideas a chance to see the light of day. When I saw this idea win a Cannes Lion this year, I thought this could have been done in Malaysia:

Let’s start somewhere. Take small creative jumps. Learn from small wins. Then, take bigger leaps. Only then will we witness its power to turn consumers into fans, turn brands into cultural icons, and turn our jobs into a reason for being.

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