Sebastien Vandecasteele
Creative Director / Founder of SLAPS
New York / Barcelona, Spain
brandingthatslaps.com
instagram @slapscreative
Q What do you do?
“I am the coordinator of chaos trying to find a constant balance between client requests and keeping the sanity of my creative team.”
In short, I am a Creative Director and I also founded my own creative studio called SLAPS.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Research, research, research. My wife calls me a sleuth when it comes to everything culture. I am heavy into fashion and expressing myself through clothing. Being involved in the streetwear and sneaker scene pre-hypebeast allowed me to be tapped in with culture essentially acquiring knowledge that is now helping me a lot on the creative direction front.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I have always had a wild imagination, but I didn't pursue a creative role until I started my studio. I discovered my creative niche quite late, so I don't always think of myself as a creative but often as a consumer. This perspective helps me build a bridge between translating creativity from my team to a client. It allows us to achieve better and faster results, which in turn leads to better creative work.
Q What are you working on right now?
To many things, haha. We are working on a really exciting video ad campaign with a big US based food delivery company. Other than that we are moving more into the sports world working on some existing big household names and also some new lifestyle brands that we are developing from scratch .We are also big in music working with several high profile DJ's like Fisher and Chris Lake, we are developing their art direction as well as cover art.
Q What’s your style?
I wouldn't really pin it down as a specific style. I'm all about vibes, and that can change with each client and project. The key for me is keeping people guessing, doing the opposite of what they expect—that's where the magic happens. Style, to me, is just whatever feels right in the moment. Oh, and I love mixing it up creatively, so I'm constantly teaming up with different designers to keep things fresh and exciting.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I'm looking to dive deeper into video ad campaigns. While I've been immersed in branding for the past few years, one of the frustrations with branding is that a lot of the hard work often stays in the shadows. You put your heart and soul into building a brand, and it's disheartening to see many of them not make it through that crucial first year.
On a different note, what truly lights me up is the world of sports. It's a realm filled with go-getters, enthusiasts, and genuinely nice folks—qualities that sometimes seem rare in other industries I've ventured into.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Oh boy here we go... There are many things I am frustrated with, they aren't specifically things that makes it hard to move forward, it's more cultural issues I have with this industry that I didn't have in previous roles or industries.
One main thing would be that creative directors and graphic designers hardly get credited while directors and photographer do all the time. Why is that, I don't know but I have a sense people find less value in graphic design than doing a photoshoot.
Another thing as agency owner would be the RFP culture. Clients expecting you to design an entire campaign without pay to then lose to another agency or even worse get ghosted. My philosophy here is you either pay up or you buzz off, hahaha.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Taxes baby....
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
When I was in high school at 15, I had to make a choice: my parents wanted me to go into economics, but I was dead set on pursuing the arts. In hindsight, I probably should've stood my ground more, considering my imagination has turned out to be my greatest asset. It wasn't until I hit 25 that I really started to tap into it.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
It would be to another agency owner and my question would relate to managing a team and how they build strong work relationships.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Big ad campaign work within the CPG and sports world. I want to work with clients that are out of the box and take risk.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I recently worked on a project with a Group Creative Director of a big NYC ad agency. He was essentially the middle man between me and the client. It is funny how easy and organized everything went. He understood my frustrations and took my feedback to heart. Most likely because he himself understood how the creative process works. I often work directly with clients who don't have that background so when problems arise it is harder to manage them.
Q What is your rate?
My day rate starts at $1500 | however if there is a project I am obsessed with, I will be flexible. Money is not what is driving success alone, it's the relationship and network you build along the way.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Personal email: seba@brandingthatslaps.com
If you are looking to work with my studio: magic@brandingthatslaps.com
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Brock Korsan - @brockymarciano
He is the absolute G in the music game, so much style and attitude, he is a mood board on his own.
I also love the guys at Black Ink Projects - @blackinkprojects
They are the brains behind some of the most innovative packaging designs and it is always a pleasure working together with them.
As a last one I would say Cole Bennett - @colebennett
I see a lot of myself in him, how he started and climbed to the top of the directing world. I have a lot of respect for his work etiquette, imagination and creativity.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I do a shitload of sports, keeps my mind healthy and my focus sharp. Also coffee...
This member profile was originally published in October 2023