Discover her journey! Now art director at Circus Advertising, the young woman has quite an interesting career path
Melissa is 33. She was raised and still lives in Réduit, a stone’s throw away from her workplace in Moka – which has a positive impact on her daily life. Armed with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Advertising from Charles Telfair Institute, she began her active life as a Creative Designer in an advertising agency. Hungry for knowledge and new challenges, she then moved to Australia to complete a Masters in Multimedia Design. “If I’ll be working the rest of my life, best to take the opportunity to do this now”, she thought then. Back in Mauritius, she once more joined the agency with which she had taken her first steps as a professional. A few years later, aged 27, she was hired by Circus Advertising to fill the position of Art Director.
One might say of Melissa that she always comes up with new ideas and concepts. When she receives a brief from the advertising manager, her job is to brainstorm to find an original idea to present the board of Circus’s creative directors with. Sometimes, the idea sprouts spontaneously, from a discussion between colleagues or after a good night’s rest. If her concept is approved by her superiors, it is then presented to the client, who will in turn review her proposition and potentially give his or her approval. Once that happens, the ball is set rolling and the production process can begin. Some projects are realized in-company, while others, such as film shoots, demand a bigger logistical commitment.
Melissa has for instance worked on the “Mwa mo contan” Pepsi film. She still has really good memories of this project, which she calls “revolutionary and rebellious” – adjectives that can also be applied to her person. The aspect of her job that she likes best is perhaps the constant challenge of bringing new ideas when all options seem to already have been explored. This calls for awareness of all new trends and the ability to evolve with the times. For her, it’s not easy to determine at what time her workday starts and at what time it ends: “My brain is always working – ideas don’t appear in a preset time window.”
The young Art Director is not only a passionate worker, but also the devoted mother of a little girl of five months. Her daughter is what’s more currently on the waitlist for Ti Pouce, Vivéa Business Park’s highly sought after nursery school, which offers, among other things, lengthened opening hours. Melissa is also, along with her sister, the co-founder of “Kotpiale”, a clothing brand for men, women and children. Everyone working in this small company proudly dedicates their know-how to their shared passion. Karuna, Melissa’s sister, has first-hand knowledge of the textiles sector, and the brand advocates its purely Mauritian DNA, advertising quality products and unique ideas as the basis behind each new collection.
Learn more about the working faces of Moka on our blog, in the “Work in Moka” section!