Advertising duo leap
into an exciting career

Part of the UCA learning experience is, in many cases, putting your skills to the test in real life situations, whether that’s competitions or industry briefs. Following the success of one such competition, BA (Hons) Advertising graduates Beti Bara and Kyle Gayle bagged themselves an exciting new career.

04 Jan 2022

Beti and Kyle (pictured above) who work together under the moniker of KurgerBing, leaped straight into employment after leaving UCA, and now work for an independent ad agency called Impero. Their first campaign was with Future Farm, timed with Veganuary with their work broadcast to the nation on billboards, Tube and transport posters, as well as in digital channels. We caught up with them about their UCA experience and how they’ve found the working world so far.

Hi guys! Thanks for chatting with us and congratulations on your success so far. What can you tell us about your time at UCA and what were the highlights of your course?

Beti: “The UCA advertising course was exactly what I expected and nothing like I expected at the same time— my experience was very self-paced. I chose which disciplines and mediums I wanted to explore and to what extent. This combination of exploration and practice proved to be so helpful in understanding who I am as a creative, and how to combine my creative skills with others. The biggest highlight is probably getting a taste for the industry's highs and lows, from frustrating late nights to glorious revelations of cracking difficult briefs. So many of my favourite moments circle around those ups and downs, they always remind me how much I love doing what I’m doing.”

Tell us how you got your roles at your agency. How’s the experience been so far?

Kyle: “Impero is an independent agency for 'impatient brands', specialising in stunts, experiential, social, and digital campaigns. They were looking to expand their tightly knit creative department with a fresh junior team, and our menu-themed portfolio was enough to get them to 'order takeout', so to speak!

“After our first interview, we were given a trial creative brief to solve and present to the creative director. We were hired shortly after! Our experience so far has been stellar, we’ve been keeping busy with many new briefs. Despite their youthful energy, our colleagues have years of experience and have always been ready to support us since day one. While sometimes there are moments of calm, they are followed by high-intensity work - something that seems to be the norm in this industry. Because the agency's team spirit is so powerful, we rarely ever feel stuck.”

What would you say was your brand? How would people know a piece of work was by you?

Beti: “Our brand stems out of our shared belief in the potential of advertising - it wouldn’t be so hated if brands let their audience take the wheel of the creative. We approach all briefs with the same questions in the back of our minds – ‘What is the common denominator, and how can we make it more relevant?’

"Our aesthetic is simple, we make ads for today’s ‘picky eaters’; our work aims to feel as little like an advert as possible! Whether it’s through direct interactions between brand and audience, or through an experiential stunt, our creative personalities complement each other to discover insights with a meaningful sense of humour and a rebellious twist.”

What’s a typical day in the office like for you both?

Kyle: Although working from home has helped us with the work-life-balance, going into the office always feels like a special occasion. The buzzing creative atmosphere is contagious and everyone has a friendly face. Since it’s only a few times a week, we actually look forward to going to the office and working in-person with everyone. We start our day with an agency-wide meeting discussing the plans for the day followed by a fun, daily quiz. Then, we get wrapped up in our tasks, be it ideation or creating social content! This hybrid way of working allowed us to ease into the creative industry rather than be bombarded with deadlines, costs, and stress, wherever we choose to work. It’s a great place to be."

Can you tell us about some of the campaigns you’ve been working on?

Beti: "Aside from producing social content for Russian Standard Vodka, UGG, and FibreOne, our first campaign was for Impero's own brand. It's an agency tradition to partner with a charitable cause and send clients a Christmas present each year. With the very relevant cause of pandemic inequality the lack of vaccines in less fortunate countries, we devised a themed present that symbolised the significance of Impero's donation.

“We came up with 'Shots for Shots', a set of shot glasses and vaccine-themed recipe cards in custom bumbags because this year we felt everyone deserves to be offered a shot. It was the first campaign we saw through the entire process, from topline ideas to design executions. It feels surreal to see it brought to life, and we're so proud of how it came out!

“We have a really exciting campaign coming out in January, but that's all we can say for now.”

 

Above, an advertising concept by Beti and Kyle which was shortlisted for a prize at the annual Chip Shop awards.

So, what advice would you both have for current students about getting into the industry?

Kyle: “Put yourself out there, people can't know you exist if you don't make a name of yourself. Whether that's a unique website, an active LinkedIn profile, or a personal project. Make the most of anything that sets you apart from others, and don't forget to celebrate every step forward, even if it's small.”

Beti: “Though it's always about being at the right place at the right time and it's up to you to find it, it's good to sit back every once in a while and let opportunities find you. There are opportunities everywhere you look, and it won't matter if nothing worked out today. You won't know what tomorrow has in store unless you are ready to embrace it.”

Want to follow in their footsteps? Take a look at our Advertising course page.