Starring: Robin Stam

Me playing in a TV commercial for IKEA

To have acting skills is something valuable for a creative. During presentations it helps you to give the right interpretation of a script, whether it's for a TV- or radiocommercial. And staying nice and polite when a client kills your idea requires acting skills of the highest level (something which I still have to learn). So in a way it's not so strange that a copywriter or art-director ends up in its own commercial.

Some creatives in Holland are known for playing in their own TV-spot: Rodger van Werkhoven, Marc Bennink and Herbert van Hoogdalem have starred in one or more commercials. The creative business in Holland usually considers it a bit arrogant to do this.

But I think that's a load of bollocks. So when I wrote a script about a creative who's shopping in IKEA, I immediately casted myself for the role. You can see the result above. Acting isn't strange to me. When I was a child I played (and sang) in musicals. I even played in an episode of a kids show. But it was interesting to see if I could do a good job when my entire filmcrew is there and the camera is directed towards me. In my humble opinion it worked out very well. I'm not aspiring a new career in acting, but I'm happy to have had this experience.