Why Saatchi & Saatchi’s Mia Silverman collects KitKat wrappers | Creative Pursuits
When she’s not creating work in her role as art director at Saatchi & Saatchi, Mia Silverman enjoys football, drawing and painting. But her most unusual hobby is adding to her 13-year-old collection of KitKat wrappers.
The creative’s collection is beautifully preserved and presented in folders, where the 400+ wrappers are organised by type and country of origin. Silverman began gathering the chocolate packaging when she was studying graphic design at GCSE level and needed something unique to cover her project book.
Now she sources KitKats from all around the world, either while she’s on holiday or via her friends’ travels. She’s also known to have a peek on eBay for any new varieties she hasn’t seen before.
“As an art director I’m really interested in how the brand has evolved and also how the design of the brand has evolved over time,” said Silverman. “I have a wrapper from 1996 which is really simple, but if you look at the wrappers now they’re all different colours and made of different materials.”
The weirdest flavour she’s tried? Purple Potato from Japan.
“That was disgusting,” Silverman recalled. “I can’t believe they made it.”
Do you enjoy a bizarre hobby? Email katie.deighton@thedrum.com to get involved in future episodes of Creative Pursuits.
Other episodes in the series
Episode 1
Why Wunderman’s Ian Haworth goes cold water swimming at 6am every day | Creative Pursuits
Introducing Creative Pursuits, The Drum’s new video series uncovering the weird and wonderful hobbies undertaken by the industry’s marketing matter. First up is Wunderman executive creative director Ian Haworth, who rises with the lark six days a week to swim in Hyde Park’s Serpentine lake.
Episode 2
Why Iris’s Lolly Morris doodles pictures of strangers’ selfies | Creative Pursuits
In the second episode of Creative Pursuits, The Drum asks why Iris’ design director Lolly Morris has created the alter ego of Stalker Doodle – an anonymous Instagram artist that recreates strangers’ selfies in Post-It note form.
Episode 4
Why McCann’s Dom Butler co-founded a feminist Christmas tree angel brand | Creative Pursuits
Women To Look Up To, the side project of McCann London creative Dom Butler, marries modern feminist idols with the traditional festive tradition of placing an angel on top of the Christmas tree.
Episode 5
Why Now’s Sarah Levitt makes alcoholic candyfloss | Creative Pursuits
A trip to Japan inspired Now's associate creative director to create her own brand of candyfloss – infused with alcohol in true Soho style. Sarah Levitt tells the story of Sweet Mother Fluffer in the latest episode of Creative Pursuits.
Episode 6
Why DigitasLBi’s Matthew Jacobson practises the art of magic | Creative Pursuits
By day, Matthew Jacobson is the global executive design director of DigitasLBi. By night, he transforms into his magical alter-ego, with tricks and illusions he’s practiced since he was seven years old.
Episode 7
Why Code Computerlove's Louis Georgiou has collected 1,500+ Transformers | Creative Pursuits
Louis Georgiou, Code Computerlove’s co-founder and managing director, is a self-proclaimed obsessive character – a trait no better illustrated than by his collection of more than 1,500 Transformers figurines.
Episode 8
Why LinkedIn's Jason Miller spends his nights photographing rock stars | Creative Pursuits
Not content with simply heading up content and social at LinkedIn Sales and Marketing Solutions, Jason Miller spends his evenings photographing the most rock ‘n’ roll of bands and musicians – and editing pictures into the early hours of the morning.
Episode 9
Why TMW Unlimited's Jennifer Cownie reads tarot cards | Creative Pursuits
Jennifer Cownie may have the word ‘strategic’ in her job title, yet outside of work it’s empathy and emotion that drive her creative pursuit of tarot card reading.