In this instalment of the series, head of social and integrated communication at Havas shares her experience of becoming a single mother in a city away from her family, and how building a daily rhythm with her son has helped her grow in her life and career.
Motherhood in advertising has long been an unspoken challenge – a career-defining crossroads where ambition is too often questioned, and support systems fall short. And while the industry has made progress in acknowledging the realities of working parents, tangible change is still slow, leaving many mothers to navigate the journey alone.
In this instalment of Motherland in Adland – the series founded by NERD’s Milana Karaica in partnership with LBB – we hear from Davitha Tiller, head of social and integrated communication at Havas.
Davitha shares her experience of becoming a single mother while leading in one of the industry’s most demanding sectors – with no family nearby, no fallback, and a young son relying on her. What followed was a journey of emotional extremes: fear, liberation, exhaustion, growth. And, ultimately, pride.
From the challenges of raising a child alone in New York City to the structural support of working under strong female leadership, Davitha’s story is one of extraordinary resilience – and a powerful reminder that motherhood, in all its forms, can shape more empathetic, grounded leaders.
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IT WASN’T THE PLAN, BUT IT’S MY PATH.
I will never forget my first official day as a single working mom.
I was standing in the kitchen of the apartment my 11-month-old son and I had just moved into following my difficult separation from his father. After a long day of meetings, pitching and thinking; I had put him to bed, and now it was time to make myself dinner. But before I could so much as reach for a pan, a wave of emotion hit me – an overwhelming cocktail of debilitating fear and exhilarating relief.
There was the fear of the road ahead. The relentless logistics. The loneliness. The unknown. And at the same time, there was this liberating sense of reclaiming control – of knowing that, for better or worse, I was back in the driver’s seat of my own life.
How am I going to do all of this?
The sleepless nights. The childcare arrangements. The all-day meetings. The after-work mom mode. The after-mom-mode work mode. The co-parenting conflicts. The tiredness. The confronting reality of knowing that you’re staring at your greatest support system in the mirror.
And yet – alongside all that – came the longing to be the best mom I could possibly be. To stay healthy, strong and active. To nurture friendships. To make new mom friends. To help my son make his first friends. To sign him up for extracurriculars. To travel the world for work and for fun. To eventually, maybe, date again.
Being an expat single mom in a place like New York City, with no family nearby and a sole custody parenting arrangement, while working a demanding leadership job in our fast-paced industry, is its own level of hard. And being a stubborn Taurean who doesn’t easily accept help certainly didn’t… well, help.
The non-stop nature of it all was terrifying. And, honestly, some days it still is. But even in the darkest moments, I held onto one belief: that eventually, it would get easier. And it did.
To my own surprise, I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey.
Because what I’ve learned is this: just like writing, or riding a bike, once you get the hang of single working mom life, it becomes second nature. And in doing so, it reveals a level of vulnerability and resilience you might never have known you had.
I’ve always been a creature of habit, someone who believes that structure is the antidote to chaos. So I approached life with my son like a military mission – building a daily rhythm so reliable, both he and I could follow it with our eyes closed. That structure became my lifeline. It still carries us through.
And through it all – just as research so often shows about children raised by single mothers – my son has become the most loving, flexible, perceptive, and emotionally intelligent little man. He lights up my life every single day, and together, we make a pretty great team.
And speaking of teams; I am immensely grateful to work for an agency with a strong female leader at the global helm, where offering people the flexibility and support to navigate their personal circumstances isn’t an exception – but the cultural norm.
Over the years, I’ve come to wear my “single mom” title not as a burden, but as a badge of honour.
It wasn’t the plan, but it is my path. It has made me who I am. And today, I can finally say it: I’m proud of her.
Senior producer at Area 23 New York Jennifer Mejia-Ponce talks about being a queer Filipina mother in the US, the challenges of navigating a global pandemic and being a new parent, and more
Motherhood in advertising has long been an unspoken challenge – a career-defining crossroads where ambition is too often questioned, and support systems fall short. And while the industry has made progress in acknowledging the realities of working parents, tangible change is still slow, leaving many mothers to navigate the journey alone.
In this edition of Motherland in Adland, we hear from Jennifer Mejia-Ponce – a seasoned senior producer whose nearly 30-year career spans broadcast, live events, and experiential campaigns for brands like Netflix, Canon, and Nike. As a queer Filipina mother, Jennifer brings a powerful, intersectional voice to the conversation – one shaped by decades of hustle, reinvention, and resilience.
From TV studios to Bayfront builds and virtual broadcast meetings with a baby on her lap, Jennifer reflects on the evolution of her identity as both a producer and a parent. She speaks candidly about the tension between ambition and presence, and the added layers of navigating parenthood as a non-biological mum in today’s political landscape.
Jennifer’s story speaks of adaptation, strength, and reframed success in both the projects she’s delivered and in the values she’s passing on to the next generation. Read on to hear her story.
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Wouldn’t it be grand if I could just put some prompts into ChatGPT and boom, here is my story. But of course that wouldn’t be authentic, would it? How do I talk about myself and my experiences and show everyone reading the private side of myself.
Opening up brings up feelings of not being enough, of ‘Am I worthy to read about’, self doubt and roadblocks of not feeling like I fit anywhere. I didn’t see many Asian Pacific Islanders/queer folk in the industry when I started my career. I missed the cultural connection that would make me feel like there were others like me. The industry is vast and can sometimes feed loneliness, especially after moving into remote work.
I’ve been a producer for almost three decades. Graduating from film school in the late 90’s, I worked for eight years in television with studios such as ABC and MTV. I was sadly making more than my single mom who then had served 20 years in the New York City hospital system.
Speaking of, I come from a culture where being in the medical field is almost a given – I could have been a nurse, like many of my fellow Filipinos, but I went into a job that to this day, my mom still doesn’t quite understand. It wasn’t typical. But when they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my response was always manifold – an accountant, carpenter, photographer. So in a way, it makes sense I’m a producer today – we’re seen as the multitaskers, budget-sorcerers, and fire chiefs of the industry. The planner and mother of the group. Long story short, when I graduated, I had dreams of working in film. With stars in my eyes, I imagined I’d be the next Discovery Channel Jacques Cousteau. But ‘The Deep Blue’ documentary made me rethink the idea. I ended up in television, but felt like I was young, naive and too nice for the environment.
I fell into experiential/live production and it was a 16-year-long ride of freelancing. Starting a staffing agency, creating Christmas at Macy’s for seven years, building production kits, training manuals and large installations in the middle of Miami Bayfront or FYSEE event spaces for Netflix in LA. I was also a bartender, security at a nightclub, tour manager, stage manager. I must have done 1000 interviews. Producing and being a workaholic was my life.
Time grew, experience grew and I realised I could take my experience and grow with it. I was building structures that were said to be impossible with my own hands and loving the adventure. I showed my wife that her tech knowledge was a great fit for production, and we worked together for years so we could produce our wedding and eventually raise enough money to start a family. We had a goal – more than just climbing some invisible work ladder. We were aiming for it all.
The adventure hit full stop when covid happened, coincidentally also when our baby was about to be born. The work I was building was gone. Travelling the country changed to travelling to the living room. The money we set aside was collapsing. Hustling and working three jobs at a time all came to a halt. I had just started feeling comfortable in my suit and tie I wore to events, but events were no longer.
When the world came out of lockdown with masks and virtual events. I had to re-start; contemplating about travelling 80% of the year for production jobs or not seeing the child we planned to have.
I call myself blessed after eight months of struggling with fear of how to care for our growing family. I said yes to a full time job being a virtual and senior producer in broadcast/advertising. One of the best work perks was that I was able to hold my baby during conference calls. I felt like a fish out of water, but being able to smell my baby was what calmed me. Broadcast was familiar but far from what I recalled – I reminded myself of the hustle to learn every facet of experiential with no guide book; this new role was no exception.
At 48, our daughter was born and I buckled down at my new job. Life was fulfilling its destiny after marrying my wife five years earlier when marriage became legal in the US.
Now it’s 2025. Feeling older than my peers, where in most businesses you would be looked at to exit or move up positions. I am also now navigating a not-so-baby four-year-old with emotions that I need to understand, through experiences I myself wasn’t allowed to feel as a child. I am the gentle parent who is trying to keep the gentleness, even though I was plopped in front of a TV growing up and constantly told to keep quiet.
Nothing can prepare you for having a kid and a full-time job at the same time – not even working months on a production and 72 hours straight of no sleep. It’s a completely different type of exhaustion. Now, you’re living for a small human who needs you literally at every step of life – priorities shift.
Now, I am a senior producer who slowed down her career to be home with the toddler, and a mama who’s had to navigate feelings of not being ‘the biological mom’. The mom who had to get court papers – to be my child’s legal mom if something was to happen. You’d think loving it would be enough, but our political climate is not supportive of queer lives.
Each day weighs differently in my head. Family versus work? Am I getting too old for this? Which comes first, the toddler who asks me to put my phone down, or the meeting? Do I say to my child ‘Wait five minutes’, so I can send my pressing emails about timelines, budgets and client must-haves? Do I feel all the guilt of missed playdates? Do I start missing school events to not be up ‘till midnight working through what I didn’t do during the day?
I sometimes miss the set builds and events where I was king with my walkie talkie and creating experiences that made people smile. But now I get to be home when my child gets out of school or needs a hug. I finally fit in with so many other moms, who, too, juggle work and parenthood. I found my community in some way, even if it’s through a screen! I’ve found a space where I can produce award-winning work – one that matters in the real world.
I’ve always said, producing is being asked to make unicorns fly. One, unicorns don’t fly. Two, unicorns aren’t real. But being both a producer and mother in today’s world is even harder – we shift, we reset and find the ways to survive and to learn from the struggles. We fight to be stronger, to be better and to secure balance like we do on any production set. I’m looking forward to the future where my kid learns to see the world, hopefully knowing her mom could do pretty much anything with a good mindset.
I can’t say I’m at all perfect, or that I don’t struggle daily with my direction. But, the best part of this industry is that it’s an open door. Like an AI prompt, I just need to figure out the key words to get me where I’m supposed to be.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov and NERD’s founder Milana Karaica kick off a new series focused entirely on celebrating mothers in the advertising and production industries, and their personal stories of triumph and pain against the odds.
“Motherhood isn’t a limitation. It’s a foundation, a training ground, and a path to better and more empathetic leadership.”
This is what founder and creative executive producer at NERD Productions, Milana Karaica, told us when we first started shaping the idea for this series.
Countless industry panels and talks dare to lift the veil of unspoken shame and controversy when it comes to becoming a mother in the advertising and production industries – or, really, in most industries. Yet, the stigma persists, and action is minimal. So, when Milana reached out to LBB with her idea, we knew it was time to carve out space for this discussion..
Pressure on women comes from all sides – wanting to be a mother is wrong, because you are not career-oriented enough; not wanting to be a mother is wrong too, because you aren’t fulfilling your ‘nature-given purpose’; wanting both, or neither, is somehow wrong too. It’s a tale as old as time.
In advertising and production, motherhood is treated as a hurdle, not an asset – choosing between a thriving career and a fulfilling family life is something countless women face, in silence. And even after the choice is made, the repercussions are life-long, and often tied with varying degrees of guilt and shame.
This is why, for International Women’s Month, and beyond, LBB’s Zoe Antonov and NERD’s Milana are launching ‘Motherland in Adland’. Through Milana’s story – and those of other incredible mothers – we’ll shine a light on the realities of balancing leadership with parenthood.
From challenges to triumphs, this series is about breaking a narrative – motherhood is not a ‘career break’. It builds stronger, more empathetic leaders – and it’s time for the industry to stand behind them.
To kick off the series, here is Milana’s story.
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I started in this industry very young – at the age of 17.
Through the early years of my career, it didn’t matter to me that I didn’t see women and people like myself around me, as actually, I never really had before either.
Taking inspiration from wherever I could, I excelled in my roles and made my way to executive producer. There were bumps in the road of that journey that were not easy to overcome but when failure is not something you allow yourself to accept, you keep pushing harder with each setback.
It wasn’t until I was in my early thirties – by which point I was running NERD Productions, a creative production company bringing diverse talent to our industry – that I started to feel extremely lonely as a female in a leadership role. NERD was my first baby, my family, and my passion, but I wanted a family at home too. Having always been a nurturer, the one that sees the potential in others and helps them realise that too, I felt that I had what it takes to be a great mother.
However, I had never really come across many women that were in senior positions and had children. It dawned on me that I didn’t know a single one that was running their own production company or agency. That scared me.
Our industry is so competitive and male dominated, that you can’t afford to ever be half a step behind. Aside from running successful productions, so much of it all is run on networking. The lunches, dinners and endless drinking, going out and entertaining. As long as you can keep up with that, you are ok. But how do you do all of that when you have your babies that need your time, love and affection. What do you do when you have an important meeting booked in for months and months and then your baby gets sick on that very day and simply wants to fall asleep in the comfort of mummy’s warm hugs? Do you cancel the meeting that could potentially change a young director’s career path, or tend to your cherished little treasure that can’t understand why you can’t simply just be there?
Women that decided to have kids were and still are often referred to as ‘taking a break to have a baby’. But we know what happens to women in our industry that took that break.
They never came back or were slowly pushed out due to lack of flexibility in their roles. Over 55% of women who had taken parental leave in the last five years believe that choosing to do so damaged their careers. Where do we go from that? This is why we are starting this series. To highlight all those incredible women who are somehow doing it all.
From Guilt to Pride
I did what I do best – kept calm and carried on.
But this is where things get unbearably hard. Everything practical – juggling appointments, sickness, no sleep or time to eat – I could deal with, but there was one thing that I didn’t account for. The guilt. The kind of guilt you can’t imagine. The volume of it is so high, that sometimes you feel like you could drown in it with every breath.
I worked until my contractions were five minutes apart. And handed over my notes to one of our senior producers, ahead of rushing to the hospital to deliver my first baby.
After one long weekend, I was back to work. With my second baby, due to health complications we had a C section and I was back to work three days after.
In an attempt to be a full-time mother and a full-time CEO, I have breastfed my babies with my camera off on endless Zoom meetings. Feeling guilty that I have to hand them over to their dad as soon as they finish, so I can get back to supporting my team and then feeling guilty some more, that I may have not paid enough attention to every word uttered in that meeting.
In an attempt to support my team’s career goals, I sat on a flight for six hours, while my two-year-old was at home, not responding to medication. Being told that he stood in front of our photo attached to the fridge crying and begging daddy to tell mummy to come home killed me inside. On the other hand, I felt guilty that I had to dash back from a big production and leave my team on their own.
I missed my daughter’s first parents evening as I was running late on set – a moment in life I will never get back, but I helped a struggling director capture that one shot he really wanted that day! A sense of achievement with a dash of guilt in my stomach for not being the mum I wanted to be that day.
My son came home from nursery, running through the door to show me the card he had made me for Valentine’s Day and I had to almost edge him out of my screen and keep a straight face as I muttered that I will see it in just three minutes.
Feeling guilty for not cooking a fresh meal on a busy work day, feeling guilty for not attending a work trip… Guilt became the air I breathe.
Even with the most empowering and supportive partner, endlessly helpful family and friends, there is always something to feel guilty about because you can always do more. After all, you are the woman that wanted it all. You could just choose a career, or family, like everyone else and not struggle.
The flipside? You can carry on like this for so long before you notice your male peers not feeling guilty for taking work trips, for taking on more work, for progressing in their career and for going to a drink after work at the expense of not spending every waking hour with their little kids, or fulfilling their every emotional need.
They are okay to be more than a dad so why don’t we ever take a leaf out of their book?
We think and we are told that women are the issue, as we have this self-imposed guilt for wanting it all. But why is wanting a career and a family seen as wanting it all and why should we not want it? Why are we judged so harshly for choosing to have a career or for staying at home?
This is why now, I refuse to allow guilt to rule my life and my choices.
I worked incredibly hard to reach this point in my career and I enjoy my job endlessly.
Growing NERD from nothing to being here ten years later and representing incredible talent, crafting with people I love and respect, supporting each other in every milestone, including family life has not come easy and with no effort.
On the other hand, my children are my world and the centre of my universe. Nothing can compare to the love we share and the happiness they bring me with every little cuddle and every little smile they unselfishly and genuinely give. This is not having it all – it is making the most of life and the endless opportunity in it.
I refuse to suppress the sense of pride I get out of being able to set this example for my children.
Since becoming a mother, there is no force that I would not be willing to stand up against. So, in a way, it has allowed me to improve all of my skillset – patience, resilience, problem solving and the unwavering ability to show up, no matter what.
This is why mothers are so vital to each team and each company. They will be there first, support your cause, understand, give, champion and work harder! Sure, they need to leave for the school pick up, or take a day when their child is sick, but they will be back online later doing way more than reasonable and enjoying it too!
It was the pandemic too, that gave us the opportunity to go from denying that life outside of work exists, to acknowledging that we all have responsibility for other, little lives.
Had it not been for covid, my career, like many others, would undoubtedly have taken a few steps back after having kids. Now, I have even taken my kids to shoots and work trips. Clients seem to accept that you need to pop home and do family stuff before you come back and take them to dinner and post-shoot drinks.
The tiredness after all of these intertwined activities is undeniable. But after a long day, when you finally lay yourself to bed at night and close your eyes – you did do it all girl!
We are making progress. And I hope that in years to come, my daughter, and yours too, never have to shed a single lonely tear, if they choose to smash it in her career, and to be the kind of mummy that she wants to be too.
In every walk of life and within any job role we all deal with challenges both internally and externally we often tell ourselves not to let our private lives interfere with our work-life, however is it really that black and white? With May being the month of Mental Health Awareness we wanted to have an open and honest conversation about how as individuals we find ways to balance our well-being with our work output. The advertising industry can be a savage and unpredictable environment with tight deadlines, days of endless calls and meetings that sometimes can feel like dead-ends rather than destinations. An emphasis on freelance work can sometimes add extra pressures of long-term stability and career growth, financing projects can become an upward struggle and sometimes the work days can be long, meaning spending less time with our families and friends.
There are no straight answers to this topic and we all do our best to find ways of finding that perfect balance between productivity and relaxation, knowing when to call it a day, knowing when we need to recharge our social battery. We all come from different walks of life, may it be culturally or financially, each of us dealing with our own insecurities or anxieties and as a society we like to pretend that we don’t. We’re programmed to think we have to be perfect all the time but sometimes the flaws are what make us succeed, it’s how we grow and learn.
Thankfully the conversation around mental health is becoming less taboo and more of an open dialogue and In this article we wanted to get involved in the conversation
THE ART OF TRYING NOT TO OVERTHINK – LOUIS HUDSON (WRITER AT NERD)
For me moving to London was the first daunting step into the creative and advertising industry. After staying in Leeds for both of my university degrees I finally decided to kiss goodbye to my affordable rent and family. My first attempt however was compromised by the global pandemic (just my luck) when the time did eventually come to move down. I had a little bit of PTSD from the pandemic. All that time stuck in lockdown, overthinking, would I be good enough, will I fit in. Imposter syndrome rearing its stupid annoying face. Which I think is a universal thing we all go through at some point in life but I think for me it was exemplified by the pandemic suddenly swapping working from home to attending multiple networking events and having to build up a new social life for myself provided a little bit of whiplash.
Coming from a traditional northern working class background I wondered whether or not I would fit in, whether my accent would be patronised or even understood and apart from the couple of occasions I’ve been mistaken for being Scottish I can confirm people can understand me just about…
For me I learnt that giving myself a schedule helped with the anxiety, even something as simple as going for a walk once a day or finding time to do a bit or personal admin would be a way for me to focus my mind. Post pandemic I’ll take myself to the cinema as much as possible because going to see a really depressing foreign romantic drama really makes me feel better about my life. I also write comedy, which is something I’ve continued to pursue since studying film at university. Since moving to London I attend London Comedy Writers and I’m always trying to get projects on the go, so it’s all very exciting but also gives me something to focus on outside of work hours that feels stimulating and creative.
BALANCING CREATIVITY AND PRESSURE – VIKTORIIA (MARKETING & PHOTOGRAPHY AT NERD)
Growing up, I always knew I was meant to do something creative – something that had a spark but also a slice of structure. I’ve always felt a strong drive to perform well in any role I take on, and with that comes pressure. When I moved to the UK, that pressure only intensified, it became about building a whole new life from the ground up. New friendships, new networks, and new opportunities.
Because social media is such a big part of what I do, there’s a constant expectation to be present. Whether it’s about posting the next big idea or simply showing up on people’s feeds, the pressure to stay relevant can be overwhelming. And while I sometimes get hit with that “who cares?” mindset, the reality is every single job or opportunity I’ve had has come from being online, from putting myself out there, from connections made through the digital world.
That’s the double-edged sword of it. While I owe a lot of my career to social media, my mental health often suffers because of it. Imposter syndrome creeps in, feeling like I’m not doing enough, even when I know I’m going above and beyond. Some days, depending on where I am in my cycle or just how much I’ve been carrying, I’ll cry it out. I’ll spiral into “I’m not good enough” thoughts and that’s when I really lean on my husband. He’s my anchor on those tough days. But then, just like that, I bounce back. The very next day I might feel like I can take on the world. I’ve also been incredibly lucky to work with people and clients who are genuinely supportive, and that kind of environment makes a huge difference. The same goes for my friends, just having someone who listens can lift the weight a little.
Being creative in the fast-paced, ever-evolving world means you’re always expected to innovate, stand out, inspire. It’s a lot. But I’ve learned that having a support system and grounding routines can help massively. For me, it’s simple things – going for a walk, spending time in nature, hiking up a mountain. Maybe that’s why I’ve gravitated towards hiking over the past two years, it gives me space to breathe and turns off my loud brain.
At the end of the day, it really is a journey. Some days feel weird, others feel heavy, but there’s always something to learn.
WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP – MARGAUX MADAMBA (SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AT NERD)
For years, I knew I was struggling with a mental health disorder but there were just so many things hindering me from seeking professional help. I thought if I just got to know myself more that maybe navigating work and life would be easier. I thought that I needed to accept myself more, to be kinder to myself, and to be more patient with myself. I read so many self-help books, listened to my mentors’ advice, and browsed through pages and pages of Reddit and Google threads. A lot of those things helped in their own ways — but it wasn’t enough.
Coming from a third world country, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to seek professional help for my internal struggles. I had assisted my younger sibling in the past with their own mental health problems and searching for psychiatrists, wards, or organizations that could help us was really difficult. We learned one thing that day: If we needed immediate help for our mental health, we were looking in the wrong places AND we were living in the wrong country. It was a very sad realization. Being the eldest daughter meant I’d have to be there every step of the way during my sibling’s own struggles. This was when I was educated deeper about how to properly seek professional help.
Five years after my sibling’s struggles, I finally got the courage to seek help for my own problems. Post-pandemic paved the way for telemedicine or telehealth apps which made it easy for me to book a psychiatrist or psychologist. It was at the age of 28 when I saw my first psychiatrist and was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I was prescribed medicine for my anxiety but after a few months, I felt like I was just an outsider watching my life happen before my eyes. The medicine wasn’t working – and that was okay. During this journey, I learned that there are many methods to seek help and not every method will work for an individual. I didn’t stop trying and experimenting. I looked for another psychiatrist who focused on talk therapy which gave me relief after just one session. I have felt more peace within myself ever since.
As creatives and freelancers, we’re used to working and moving independently. Throughout the years, I got used to working by myself and finding remedies in my own ways. It worked until it didn’t, and I wish I asked for help much sooner – I bet my 22-year-old self needed it a lot. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that it is okay to ask for help – ask for help when you’re afraid, ask for help even when you can’t afford it, ask for help even when you’re succeeding in life. It doesn’t matter where you are or who you are, it will always be the right time to ask for help.
VALUE OF PEOPLE IN OUR LIFE – MILANA KARAICA (FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE CREATIVE PRODUCER AT NERD)
I started in this industry very young – at the age of 17.Through the early years of my career, it didn’t matter to me that I didn’t see women and people like myself around me, as actually, I never really had before either.
Taking inspiration from wherever I could, I excelled in my roles and made my way to executive producer. There were bumps in the road of that journey that were not easy to overcome but when failure is not something you allow yourself to accept, you keep pushing harder with each setback. It wasn’t until I was in my early thirties – by which point I was running NERD Productions, a creative production company bringing diverse talent to our industry – that I started to feel extremely lonely as a female in a leadership role. NERD was my first baby, my family, and my passion, but I wanted a family at home too. Best of both worlds was the goal I wanted to achieve through some miracle it seemed.
With so much going on at all times and hours of the day it is hard to stop to catch a breath, let alone think about your mental health and wellbeing. I try to be practical, and find time to still show up for my young kids where and when needed while doing the same for my team and clients.
Sneaking in some alone time for a quick facial or getting my nails done is my time to simply do nothing. Allowing time with people I love… a coffee with my sister, a quick lunch with a friend, a little time with my forever cheerleader- my partner, even if it’s just a cinema date or a walk in the park. All these seemingly small things and times give me endless positive energy, time to reflect on the life we have built and things we still feel we want to pull off before we are ready to live the quiet life!
So, having said all that, in conclusion – we all need that one person in life or if we are lucky enough, a few of those gems, that will be your source of support, empowerment, inspiration or simply good vibes. This is what really matters and what helps keep me going when times are tough.
The new Papa Johns rebrand film is a love letter for pizza enthusiasts all around the UK, a kaleidoscope of cheesy saucy goodness. Centered around its pizza-obsessed consumers and the brands own commitment to better pizza and superior ingredients, we are delighted to share with you the “DEVOTED TO THE DOUGH” TVC.
The brilliant creative chefs behind the new campaign cooked this one to perfection, deserving of a Michelin star or too. The film was brought to life using various mixed media techniques like cutouts, photography, 2D animation, AI generated assets and glorious food shots. All of that came together in a collage of bombastic colours and flavours. Weaving between delicious live action ingredients and animation which brings playful, vibrant and fun energy to the piece.
Director, Ahmet Iltas shared his experiences working on the project “Making the Papa John’s film was an incredibly exciting experience for me. The creative challenge of bringing together the idea of pizza obsession and PJ’s DEVOTED TO THE DOUGH across various media and visual styles kept things fresh and dynamic throughout the process. From intricate close-ups of the product to quirky moments that introduced relatable humor and personality, it was about finding a balance between the love of pizza and making something that would grab attention in today’s fast-paced, content-saturated world.
The mixed-media approach allowed us to explore multiple layers of storytelling playfully, merging real footage with illustrative elements and graphic transitions. This kept the visuals both engaging and unpredictable, which was something I really wanted to achieve from the start. It’s always fun to experiment with different mediums and see how far we can push the boundaries while still staying true to the brand’s identity.”
Ahmet adds “By combining traditional live-action footage with AI-generated elements, design, and animation, we were able to create something truly innovative. The result is a next-generation mixed media film that feels fresh and forward-thinking. It’s also a reflection of where modern storytelling can go while keeping the essence of the brand intact.”
Milana Karaica, Executive Producer, adds – “Being a part of such a big rebrand is a huge responsibility! Having said that with our collaborative agency and trusting brand partners, this project was still such a fun and dynamic production from start to finish. This approach also allowed us to make something that looks and feels fresh. We ended up with a film we are excited to share, that really speaks to the tastes and attention spans of our audience.”
And if the delectable imagery and whimsical animation weren’t enough to win you over, the film also features a catchy tune that will be imprinted into your head for the foreseeable.
Papa Johns DTTD credit list:
Agency – Bicycle ECD: Graeme Douglas Creative director: Leigh Gilbert Creative director: Scott Andrews Business director: Rosie Bloxham Senior account executive: Izzy Nott Senior producer: Bethany Easton
Production Company: NERD Productions
Director: Ahmet Iltas Executive producer: Milana Karaica Producer: Phil Burgess Director of Photography: Simon Paul Lead animator and head of compositing: Selahattin Iltas Art director: Saeed Noroozi Food stylist: Kostas Stavrinos Colourist: Danny Atkinson Music: Resister Music Audio record & mix: Page Not Found
Christmas came early here at NERD! We’re excited to spread some brotherly love through our roster as we say our season’s greetings to Chris and Tyler Guyot, the brothers who founded Toast.
Discussions are high from the anticipated release of Elsa and friends in Frozen 2 and the (not so) hidden messages and plot twists of the movie. Our very own embodiment of female empowerment Milana Karaica talks diversity, the struggle to success as a woman in creative industries and what we can really take away from the Disney motion picture.
Following the success of the enticing concept art for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity visionary competition ‘Future Lions’, Billelis was joined by the visionary VFX and CGI-savvy Peter S, along with AKQA, to bring to life the opening film for the world-famous awards ceremony.
“The piece below was originally a letter that I’d written to a former student. Since then it’s gone through a few alterations. I wanted to share it with you because it’s nearing the end of the school year, and as someone who keeps a thread to his past, I remember what it felt like to be there.
I don’t recall the specifics of why I wrote to her, but I wonder if it had to do with the uncertainties that come with being an artist, especially one who is about to graduate from school in a couple of weeks. I guess then, this letter is really an open letter to those of you who are in a similar space now.” – Marcos Chin
