Keerthikeyan Dakshinamurthy, or simply Keerthy is an Art Director from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Brought up for most of his life between Kuwait and India, he is currently based in Miami and has recently graduated with a degree in Art Direction from Miami Ad School and a Master of Science in Global Strategic Communications at Florida International University.
Keerthy is an artist, a technologist, and an art director, finding his inspiration from life around him to convey his craft. He is also passionate about surfing, football, and music (playing the guitar), traveling, and creating art along his journey.
He aspires to explore the advertising industry and all that it has to offers to create for various brands and tackle social issues by offering a voice where there is none. He hopes to one day open his own agency that focuses on creatives purely derived by new and experimental technology. His portfolio can be found at www.keerthikeyan.com

Why are you into Advertising?
Over my Career, I’ve been in sales and marketing roles across various industries. But I can honestly say that none of them gave me the happiness, satisfaction, and drive to wake up every morning like advertising did. Making the switch was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but today, I’m proud and grateful that I did it. It the one decision I will always be grateful for having the courage to do.

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
While I did my undergrad school in Manufacturing Engineering at Anna University in Tamil Nadu, I’ve since completed my Masters Program in Global Strategic Communication at Florida International University as well as an Art Direction Degree from Miami Ad School.

Tell us about your awards?
While it is an ongoing journey, some of the recent awards I’m proud of are the Vega Digital Award 2021 for my Project #PutAPinInIt. I also recently received a Graphi Gold for creating a social protest poster regarding on overconsumption of digital media. We also received the honour of having one of designs be used as the official Poster for the Cinema Italy Festival 2019 that takes place annually in Miami.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
There were plenty growing up, but I would definitely start with my older brother who has been a constant source of inspiration. He dedication, drive, and hard work is something I still try to encapsulate in my daily life. Besides that I would also mention my parents for the constant support in me and teaching me to always believe in myself, even when I didn’t myself.

Who was the most influential personality on your career in Advertising?
David Carson hands down. His rebel devil may care style is something that definitely inspired my early days when I was still figuring out myself within the field.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
Pretty much the entire world around. I feel the way I think about things sometimes is just different or weird for a lack of better words. Whether it’s jogging in the park, cycling by the beach, or even mid conversation with a friend, my mind constantly works on what’s happening around me and tries to create these scenarios which might sound crazy, but probably just crazy enough to work as a campaign.

Tell us something about your current place’s work environment. How do you keep motivating yourself and your team creatively.
So my current work place definitely works with the framework of a well oiled machine, everyone is aware of the roles they play and we follow a philosophy of work hard play hard. With the recent pandemic, the transition to an online workspace was honestly seamless. I believe those are the characteristics of a good team who believe in each other and the work we do.

What do you think of the state of Print advertising and graphics right now, considering things moving digital?
It’s definitely true that the world is moving towards a more digital space, but I believe print and graphic media still play a vital role in our society. It’s important to keep in the mind that there are still a lot of places in the world that do not have a stable internet connection. Also it is definitely easy to get lost into todays digital world due to the sheer abundance of ads and content that can be found there, so print advertising is definitely an efficient way to make you work stand out.

Do you think brands who’s advertising wins awards, do well in the market?
I certainly believe those. These campaign usually have exceptional impressions and do contribute in making their mark in an ever-growing market.

What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals?
Be kind to everyone and work hard for what you believe in. I truly believe we gets what we deserve in the end. That being said, when it comes to creating ideas, always work from the insights or human truths, they usually make the work more powerful and relatable.

What’s your dream project?
My dream project would be to work on the Deadpool movies. I’ve a huge marvel an DC fan and Deadpool is simply my favourite character hands down. So working on a campaign for the movie would definitely be a dream come true for me.

Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years I definitely see myself as a Creative Director are a CCO. The where is where my journey takes me.

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Honestly right now, just myself. It’s important to have some me time and treat myself as well.

What’s on your iPod? Spotify?
All kinds of rock music, from old school to new alternative. Some of my favourite bands are Green Day, Linkin Park, and AJR.

Mac or PC?
Mac anyway. Makes my design life soo much easier.

Whats your Twitter Handle? Instagram?
I have two Instagram pages. My personal one is @keerthy_k and my art page is @thehonestnri

#PutAPinInIt

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