Known for his strong work ethic and extreme commitment to arts, Sven Gaffud is undeniably a perfect choice in taking the seat of creative director of Republicasia. 

With the company’s vision of amplifying the voice of the new generation through digital journalism, Republicasia always ensures that all creative assets are high-quality and aligned with the youth’s interests. 

Only a person with extensive experience on creative works would understand the crucial role of visuals in delivering stories and events to the young public. And Gaffud, equipped with a colorful work background, knows this by heart. 

No doubt he is fully determined to bring the company’s vision into reality. 

Sven the creative artist

Even before he graduated as a Fine Arts student majoring in Advertising Arts at Far Eastern University, he already embarked on the creative world as a graphic designer. 

“It was my first job and the experience of merging my passion for art with practical design skills was incredibly rewarding,” he shared while recounting how his first job was a milestone for him in setting his career in the creative industry. 

After his graduation in 2016, he immediately pursued the path of photography by becoming the product photographer of Boardwalk responsible for taking visually appealing photos for e-commerce and catalogs. 

He also served as a photo editor for Beautiful Life Studios in 2018, meticulously retouching and refining lifestyle photos in Vancouver and Toronto in Canada. 

For years, Gaffud has taken the role of photographer and editor, director of photography and creative lead for various projects such as documentaries, corporate materials, digital ad campaigns, fashion and lifestyle enterprises. 

With his long exposure to photography and creative design, he has mastered the use of all Adobe Creative Suite applications. 

No one would surely question his expertise when it comes to visuals and creative endeavors, establishing himself as a man of creatives. 

Life-changing experiences 

His long creative journey has never been easy. Just like everybody else, his career was also like a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. Yet, it didn’t stop him to persevere and remain loyal to his passion. 

It was in the peak of the pandemic that he experienced one of the most challenging events in his creative journey. 

“[It] was during the time of the pandemic when our team was working on a video project. Unfortunately, just as everything seemed to be falling into place, the government declared another lockdown, disrupting our plans,” shared Gaffud. 

He recounted how he and his team had to adapt to the new working setup caused by the pandemic and make use of all resources available to them to produce a decent output. 

Despite facing uncertainties and limited interaction, his team remained firm and didn’t even quiver. Thanks to their collective efforts and determination, they were able to deliver a final output that even exceeded their client’s expectations. 

“This experience taught me the value of adaptability, resilience, and creative problem-solving in the face of unforeseen challenges,” he said. 

Working collectively, creatively 

More than just playing with aesthetics, Gaffud also put importance on working with people in delivering exceptional visuals. 

During the pandemic, he along with his co-creative leads formed a group they called AU Collective. 

Through collective efforts, they got the chance to collaborate with D’ LaZY Road Trip, an online content creation show starring actor Zanjoe Marudo, basketball star LA Tenorio, and comedian Yubs Azarcon. 

Gaffud served as the director of photography of the show aside from being a co-producer representing AU Collective. Since the show is in partnership with San Miguel Corporation, he also experienced working closely with the said company in producing and delivering creative content. 

Aside from this, Gaffud also worked with some notable brands such as Panasonic, Lazada,  Canon, BMW, Petron, NutriAsia, Wyeth Nutrition, Nestle, Robinsons Supermarket and Watsons for online and company content.  

Never forget to look back 

When asked how working with other people influenced him as a person, he mentioned his boss as one of the important people that molded who he is today. 

It was his first boss, who eventually became his influential mentor, that helped him to nurture his creative design skills during the early phase of his career. The knowledge and guidance his mentor imparted to him made him realize how creative decisions can influence the overall success of business projects. 

Having a great boss-mentor, it is no longer shocking when he first assumed the role of Creative Lead of the production team in one of the projects he was part of. Composed of talented people with different creative perspectives, Gaffud did what a creative leader must do—skillfully uniting all the plethora of visions and ideas of these people under one coherent objective. 

Leading a team allowed him to see collective creativity as one of the basic foundations of success. 

Taking up the challenge

Why Republicasia? Gaffud reiterated the company’s firm commitment in empowering the new generation. 

“As an individual deeply immersed in the creative industry, I have had the privilege of encountering numerous talented individuals. However, I also noticed that not all of them have the opportunity to be truly heard and recognized for their creative prowess. When Republic Asia extended an offer for me to assume the role of Creative Director, I accepted the challenge,” he said. 

He believes that the youth is the hope of the country full of creative potentials and that these potentials only need to be recognized and harnessed. 

By assuming the role of creative director, he hopes to help the new generation in discovering and developing their untapped potential by empowering and uplifting the creative talents within Republicasia. 

The future of journalism under his creative supervision

While he recognizes the challenge of connecting himself—who is no longer part of the new generation—to the young audience, he firmly believes that there is always a bridge that connects us all despite our varying ages—art. 

“Throughout history, arts have consistently captivated and compelled us to delve deeper into various topics, making it perpetually relevant regardless of the generation,” shared Gaffud, emphasizing the importance of infusing creativity into journalism to create innovative ways in engaging different audiences. 

As the newest creative director of Republicasia, he envisions the company to become one of the top players in the field of digital journalism so long as it embodies the qualities of an everyman archetype—relatable, humble, authentic. 

Gaffud seeks to deliver content with an exceptional and unique creative approach. For him, the future of journalism does not only rely on what the audience hear or read but also on how they perceive the creative essence and visuals of the stories Republicasia has to offer. 

Living with the mantra of working smart and playing hard, the creative team under his supervision will be treading a fresh path that strives for a harmonious and productive environment committed to empower the new generation.