The AMV BBDO chief creative officer – one half of creative duo Nick and Nadja – levels on the nature of a partnership that began in South Africa and took her to the top of one of the world’s leading agencies. AMV BBDO'S chief creative officer Nadja Lossgott / AMV BBDO Growing up in Johannesburg, Nadja Lossgott was often taken from gallery to gallery by her artist parents. While she found it tedious as a child, she now appreciates the beauty of those experiences as an adult.
“I was never going to get the chance to be a mathematician,” she jokes. “I grew up in my parent’s studios and workshop.” Her mother, a mixed media textile artist, and her German father, a sculptor, created a home rich in creative opportunities like sewing and painting.
Surrounded by annuals filled with captivating images and stories, Lossgott was profoundly influenced from a young age. At school, she further nurtured her artistic side by exploring both academic and creative subjects such as art history, photography, graphic design, and drawing. After school, Lossgott sought further education in Cape Town, led by experienced advertising executives eager to teach their craft to local youth.
In her words, she kind of “fell into advertising” through her love of graphic design and photography, eventually landing in art direction, which she describes as her “first love”. Her first role was at TBWA Hunt Lascaris in Johannesburg in 2003, where she met her creative partner, Nick Hulley. Loss.