Our Pioneer in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Dalischa de Kok

Our Pioneer of the week is Dalischa de Kok, Group Creative Director Havas Riverorchid for Yangon, Bangkok, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City. Having previously lived in Ho Chi Minh City and now in Phnom Penh, Dalischa shares insights with us about what life is like in these vibrant and bustling cities where ‘people literally never sleep’.

Through this new format, created in collaboration with Nils Adriaans, every week we get in touch with someone from the Dutch Creative Industry living abroad and ask them to send us back 5 personal messages in a bottle – one for every day of the week.

What makes you feel at home?

In Vietnam it was definitely Vietnammm (Thuisbezorgd!) but in Cambodia I feel at home because of the buzzing markets, sky bars, green forests, ancient temples, tropical beaches and kind, welcoming people. Unlike in the Netherlands, a weekend away will be spent in a tropical environment. With its 22 public holidays (until last year it was 28) there are many spots to unwind, discover and even work from.

What stands out the most there?

As I am Thai-Dutch, I’m no stranger to this region. I have seen the region grow in the past 30 years from a developing economy to a booming one. I was done with the financial crisis and the depressing state of Europe in 2015 and before. After arriving in Vietnam I immediately felt the endless energy and eagerness: I started out 5 years ago in Ho Chi Minh City and the people literally never sleep. Fuelled by one of the best coffees in the world (look it up!) all of these creatives have multiple jobs because they learn non-stop. It is not uncommon to talk to an Art Director who is a professional photographer in the evening and a successful vlogger on the weekend. Here in Phnom Penh, you can tell they’ve come out of a seriously tragic event (Khmer Rouge/Civil War) – they focus on rebuilding, the future of their kids and try to forget about the awful past. This of course gives challenges, but you know what they say here? No mud, no lotus.

There are amazing creative opportunities here. You actually work on the A-list clients you were always dreaming of in the Netherlands. Many well-known brands have to be introduced into a new market. Myanmar in particular, because it just recently opened for international trade which means you get the opportunity to build a brand from scratch or introduce an existing brand to a new audience.

What is your Random Pic(k) Of The Week?

With regard to COVID-19, I'd go with this piece by the internationally recognised graffiti and protest artist Alex Face, entitled Mask Off. The artist made this piece recently as an answer to the COVID-19 situation in Phuket.

To answer this question in a more general sense, I have a soft spot for outstanding animated shows (I am an illustrator by heart) and one of my all-time favourites is Rick and Morty. Each season they have a ‘filler’ episode with great parodies of TV commercials, movie trailers and TV concepts. This episode is my favourite. In the show you can hear a giggle at the end of the recording because he says stuff off-the-cuff in the recording booth and decided to bring it alive. I am very happy he did.

I think I will always have a soft spot for adver-Thai-sing, not only because it is part of my heritage but Thai humour is very unusual and funny to me. Living in an NGO-country like Cambodia with many award-winning opportunities, I admire when creatives go for a funny approach for a very difficult subject. Here is a campaign against heavy drinking, reimagining a classic Kung-Fu movie: The Drunken master. The craft and detail are impeccable, I really wish I could have done that.

Who’s the best creative over there?

Myanmar is a very special place because it just opened up 7 years ago. There are only 2 studies you can follow at the moment which is engineering or medicine. So creative teams consists of engineers and doctors who follow their true passion. One of my copy creatives, Gucci (nickname), is not only a talented writer but also one of Myanmar’s first generation KOL (Key Opinion Leader – that’s what they call influencers here) as a fashionista and traveller of the facebook page called Chi’s Little World. She is a very promising first generation creative in this open world.

What ‘souvenir’ would you bring home?

It is funny how living abroad really opens your eyes and has helped me to see things in perspective. I’m born and raised in Amsterdam but every year when I come home, I discover things I never noticed before. Diving into new cultures definitely gave me a different and wider perspective with regards to human behaviour and how fun it is to observe day to day rituals. One thing I am really certain about is that IF I come back one day, I would need a serious ‘reintegration’ into the blunt Dutch ‘act normal then you are crazy enough’ culture. I am so used to the kindness, grace, politeness, non-bluntness, service oriented, visual kitsch and endless patience of this region. Come by anytime and I will show you what I mean.