Creative Minds: McCann Worldgroup China's CCO loves art and flying on a jet suit

In Creative Minds, we ask APAC creatives a long list of questions, from serious to silly, and ask them to pick 11 to answer. (Why 11? Just because.) Want to be featured?

Name:  Yinbo, Ma

Origin:  China

Places lived/ worked:  China and USA

Pronouns:  He/him

CV:

• CCO, McCann Worldgroup, China (2021-Present)
• Senior Art Director to ECD, BBH, China (2007-2021)
• Junior Art Director to Senior Art Director, D’Arcy, Publicis and DDB, New York (1998- 2007)
   

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I always knew I’d be doing something art related. Because growing up, I could draw and paint all day and never get bored.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

It’s a Heineken campaign that was supposed to be on Super Bowl. But the clients pulled the plug just before the launch because it was too wacky then. (See attached screen grab)

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

Can I pick two? Guinness– Surfer and Levi's Odyssey. If I remember correctly, both are directed by Jonathan Glazer.

4. What and who are your key creative influences?

Work from these agencies and people: Wieden Kennedy, Cliff Freeman, Goodby Silverstein, Kessels Kramer, Alex Bogulsky, Gerry Graff, Eric Silver, Tony Granger, David Droga and Sir John Hegarty

5. What kind of student were you?

I was the not-listen-to-teachers-and-give-them-lots-of-headaches kind of student.

6. What's on your bucket list?

Fly on a jet suit.  It must feel like I am dreaming.

7. Who do you most admire?

Michael Phelps. The guy has more Olympic medals than anyone in history. And how he made a comeback from the bottom, WOW!

8. Who's on your dream dinner guest list (alive or dead)?

Someone from another planet. Plus a translator to help us communicate.

9. Tell us about an artist (any medium) that we've never probably heard of. (Please provide a link or visual)”?

Lee Kan Kyo.  A Taiwanese artist. His work is very close to daily life and irreverent. Love to work with him someday.

10. What’s your favorite music / film / TV show / book / other of the past year, and why?

Everything Everywhere All at Once. The storyline is so imaginative, and I kept thinking during the film, how on earth did they come up with such a crazy mind-blowing story?

11. Cat person or dog person? 

Dog. Once I was in a restaurant, and a couple sitting next to me had a puppy. I told them the puppy looked cute. They asked me if I wanted to have it. I said YES then took the puppy home.

12. Early riser or night owl?

I used to be a night owl. But I have become most productive in the morning.

13. Extrovert or introvert?

Introvert.