Nicolas Geahchan, Senior Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi MEAA few days ago, while digging through my music library, I stumbled upon Rémy Bricka (yes I have it in my music library) a French one-man band from the 80s. Pretty much unknown to the world and certainly to newer generations, Bricka was a walking, strumming, drumming spectacle. A literal solo act. And somehow, that image of one man carrying the weight of an entire performance stuck with me.
It made me think about how much we’ve come to celebrate working alone. How the tools we use today powered by AI make it easier than ever to create, ideate, and execute solo. We’re faster, more autonomous, more productive. But also, more isolated. The one-man band has become a metaphor for modern work. And while it’s impressive, it’s rarely as interesting.
The spark of creativity, the joy of collaboration, the unexpected twist; these are born from togetherness. From shared glances, overlapping thoughts, and the occasional clash of ideas. When we isolate, we lose the mess. And with it, the magic.
The room. once the arena of creative chaos ,is quieter now. The whiteboard, the battlefield of ideas, is replaced by screens. The collective energy has shifted into individual minds, each powered by AI tools, working faster, smarter, more independently. And yes, it’s efficient. It’s powerful. But it’s also solitary.
We used to sit in rooms with walls full of bad ideas, half-eaten snacks, and looming deadlines. Tired eyes, sharp tongues, and that one person who refused to let go of a terrible pun. But somehow, through the chaos, something would click. Someone would say something… Maybe out of frustration, maybe out of brilliance, and the room would shift. The energy would change. And suddenly, we had it.
That’s the power of the room. The collective. The mess. The magic.
I’ve had the chance to work on brands like Kit Kat, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Red Bull; each with a positioning that has endured for years, sometimes decades. These weren’t just campaigns. They were platforms. Movements. Cultural codes. And none of them came from a single mind working in isolation.
Kit Kat’s “Have a Break” wasn’t just a tagline. It became a ritual. Coca-Cola’s celebration of togetherness, Nike’s rallying cry to push limits, Red Bull’s audacious energy; all of these were shaped by rooms full of people. Writers, strategists, designers, planners, clients. Debating, laughing, disagreeing, aligning. That’s where the magic happened.
Were these ideas born in confinement? Or did they come to life through brainstorming, tension, and shared energy?
Because absurdity, charisma, boldness, and humour flourish better together. They need friction. They need reaction. They need the room.
And here’s a simple question: When you tell yourself a joke… do you laugh?
Maybe – just maybe – if Rémy Bricka had been part of a band, more people would know him, and he’d be a household name today. Because even the most talented solo act can only go so far alone. The spotlight shines brighter when it’s shared.
So here’s a call, not to rewind, but to reimagine. To carry forward the spirit of collaboration into whatever comes next. To make the future not just smarter, but more human.
By Nicolas Geahchan, Senior Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi MEA
