APG Sideways
About our guest: Harini Kannan
With a decade of experience in visual communication, Harini is a designer and creative strategist focused on helping organizations build cohesive visual identities that resonate with their audiences.
She uses design as a storytelling tool to convey messages with depth and meaning. Having led user acquisition for India's largest social media app, she managed the creative process for over 50 animated ads, driving engagement across the platform.
Currently, she works with Barrett and Welsh, specializing in strategy and communications that promote inclusion for visible minority immigrants.
Previous Posts
Brilliant Weird Best
Planners are curious folks so we asked Harini to tell us the most brilliant, weirdest and best thing she’s come across recently.
Brilliant: No Frills Bathos Humour
In retail, customers don't need fancy words—they just want the basics. NoFrills gets this.
True to their anti-brand ethos, they skip the fluff and keep it simple. Their Maria biscuit packaging playfully says “can also be eaten by Karen,” and their Twitter cover page just says “Twitter page.”
It’s honest, direct, and real. In a world full of over-the-top ads, NoFrills stands out by being refreshingly unpretentious. That straightforward approach is what makes it so effective.
Weird: Museum of Annoying Experiences
Zendesk aims to create a world where bad customer service no longer exists.
To imagine this future, they’ve created the Museum of Annoying Experiences—an interactive online exhibit showcasing comically frustrating customer service moments.
While the idea is fun, I didn’t see much lasting appeal beyond a one-time visit. The frustrations, like captcha and 404 errors, felt too trivial for a museum. Hopefully, the concept will evolve and become more engaging over time.
Best: Generative AI for Art
The last thing a creative person needs is AI taking their job, but it actually pushes us to elevate art direction.
A year ago, I feared becoming obsolete, but technology has always helped us adapt. Tools like MidJourney and Adobe’s GenAI allow me to experiment with ideas quickly, freeing up mental space for creativity. I use them to visualise elements so I can focus on the concept instead of getting bogged down by details. It's about making creative decisions, not sweating the small stuff.
Top Guilty Pleasures
Not all of our consumption habits can be academic. That's why we asked Harini to give us the sources to her creativity.
I can't help but feel a little schadenfreude when arrogant celebrity chefs get criticized for cooking fails. Uncle Roger makes these call-outs even more entertaining with his over-the-top commentary in his exaggerated "Asian uncle" persona.
Honesty is key for a strategist, and Karl Pilkington is a comedian to learn from. His blunt, simple observations in An Idiot Abroad with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant make him both funny and unintentionally wise.
One of my favourite quotes from his podcast is: "I've never understood the 'things to do before you die' idea. If I was ill, I'd be in no mood to swim with a dolphin." It captures his down-to-earth perspective on life perfectly.
That's it—just reels of capybaras eating, chilling in water, or standing on top of one another to create the biggest capybara tower.
This month on Slack
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Mad Men No More: Ad Industry’s Fossil Fuel Ties Risk Reputation and Talent in a Warming World
Contributor: Mihir Marolia
The F-List highlights how fossil fuel clients remain intertwined with major ad and PR agencies, despite the pressing need for climate action. While clean energy investments and consumer concerns rise, the advertising industry’s outdated alliances risk both reputation and future talent, signaling that it’s time for agencies to choose sustainability over legacy ties to polluting industries.
