When creative work transcends awards to actually save lives, it represents the pinnacle of what our industry can achieve. We spoke with Chermine Assadian, Former Global Creative Lead at VML, whose “Waiting to Live” campaign for NHS Blood and organ donations didn’t just collect over 70 awards including 3 Grand Prix and 4 Cannes Lions—it helped more than 50% of the 233 children featured receive their lifesaving transplants.
With a global career spanning Paris, Dubai, Beirut, London, and Amsterdam, Assadian brings a uniquely multicultural perspective to creative leadership. From making London double-decker buses run on coffee fuel to launching the Airbus A380, his work consistently pushes boundaries while maintaining deep human connection.
In this conversation, Assadian unpacks the delicate balance between emotional resonance and measurable impact, shares insights on leading teams across diverse cultural contexts, and reveals what drives his approach to saying yes to the ideas that matter most.
Your “Waiting to Live” campaign didn’t just win awards, it changed lives. How do you think about balancing emotional impact with measurable outcomes in creative work?
That was genuinely the best award of all – knowing that the campaign actually helped save lives!
The magic of this campaign and the reason it resonated so well with the public and the juries equally, is I believe, because we found the right balance between emotion and information, connection and action.
That’s ultimately the biggest challenge for every campaign, to find that sweet spot. Properly used, emotions trigger relatability or at least, create an invaluable bond with your target.
It was even more important than ever before, as it was health-related – something as vital as organ donation for children. I mean talk about a sensitive and important brief! Asking parents to sign up their children so they can, in the case of a horrific situation (that they obviously don’t want to even think about) save other children’s lives. It’s unthinkable but literally life-saving.
It was the most emotional and rewarding campaign of my career on so many levels.
With a global career spanning many different cities, how do you adapt your creative approach to resonate across such diverse cultural and social contexts?
For global campaigns, the best ideas are always universal. An idea that can bring a smile or a tear in a Korean village and also in Mexico City, how powerful is that? I also believe certain ideas and feelings cross any and all boundaries. Having experienced humour and empathy in many different ways and places whilst living abroad, I think I now recognise what can resonate at a core level for many people in all walks of life.
Creative leadership often means navigating both vision and execution, how do you empower teams to stay bold while staying on brief?
There is no recipe. It depends on the team really. Some teams need more guidance. Some teams are very experienced and just need space and encouragement. However, I am a firm believer in references. I look and share older campaigns that I always loved to show as an inspiration, not to imitate.
When do you feel most energized in your work?
Whenever a project moves forward. Every step is exciting When a team presents me with an idea I wasn’t expecting, when a client is on board to make it and then, when we are actually producing it and it comes to life.
An idea is like a fragile little egg, anyone can break it at any point, but it takes a lot of love and nurturing from a lot of people to bring it to life. And before you know it, something surprising can hatch.
You’ve made double deckers run on coffee and told deeply human stories about female empowerment, with such a diverse range of work under your belt, what’s the deeper throughline that drives the kinds of ideas you say yes to?
There is no consistency.
You need to adapt to the market, the audience and of course the brand. But ultimately you always want to do something unique and exciting. Something people will look at and be amazed by. The same way I look at some projects every day and I think “1) How did they sell that?? and 2) I wish I’d done that!!”.
What’s something outside of work that shapes how you lead?
I have been raised by a single mom, who tried really hard to ensure my siblings and I are decent people. To treat everyone with respect. To consider what people are going through/have gone through. I would love to be able to do the same with my daughters.
Of course I want to do great work, but if it comes at the cost of being an ass then I am fine with “just” good work. Thankfully, the “waiting to live campaign” proved that you can do both!
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The most impactful creative work happens when emotion meets purpose, and universal human truths transcend cultural boundaries. Assadian’s approach demonstrates that the best campaigns don’t just win awards — they change lives. At Synima, we believe in the power of storytelling that moves both hearts and metrics. Ready to create work that matters?
Head of Marketing at Synima