I’m Akrum Hossain
CCO of POP5.

From Bangladesh to London: an under-the-radar creative market shines at D&AD with its first-ever Graphite Pencil win

Bangladesh may not be the first country that comes to mind when discussing global creative powerhouses, but that narrative is beginning to change. With the country’s first-ever D&AD Graphite Pencil now on the shelf, a new chapter is being written for its creative industry. Blank Canvas Asia speaks with POP5’s Chief Creative Officer, Mohammad Akrum Hossain, the man behind this landmark achievement, to uncover the ambitions, challenges, and opportunities shaping Bangladesh’s advertising landscape today.

BCA: First of all, congratulations to POP5 for picking up Bangladesh’s first and only D&AD Graphite Pencil. It is truly a historic achievement at one of the world’s toughest creative awards. What were the key success factors behind the Plot Farming campaign for POP5 and for you as the agency’s CCO?

Akrum: The biggest factor was that Plot Farming was never created as an award entry. It was created to solve a real problem. Bangladesh is facing rapid urbanisation, shrinking agricultural land, and increasing pressure on landless farmers. The idea addressed all three challenges through a solution that was culturally relevant, commercially viable, and capable of delivering measurable impact.

The second factor was teamwork. This recognition belongs to a large group of people—our client at Shopnodhora, the team at POP5, our production partners, researchers, strategists, and everyone involved in bringing the idea to life. Ideas of this scale cannot be built by one person or one department.

The project had already received recognition at other major international platforms, including a Grand Prix at MAD STARS and a Lotus at ADFEST, which gave us confidence that the work could compete globally. But D&AD is a different challenge altogether. The standards are exceptionally high, and every piece of work is scrutinised in detail.

For an independent agency that is not yet two years old, becoming the first agency in Bangladesh to win a D&AD Pencil is something we are extremely proud of.

BCA: Do you think ad agencies in Bangladesh will now pursue more global recognition following the country’s first Graphite Pencil win?

Akrum: I certainly hope so. Bangladesh has always had talented people and strong ideas. What has often held us back is not creativity, but access. International awards are expensive, particularly for agencies operating in developing markets. Entry fees, case study production costs, and multiple category submissions can quickly become prohibitive.

Even when agencies create world-class work, many can only afford to enter one or two categories, whereas larger international networks often enter the same project across dozens of categories, significantly increasing their chances of success.

I hope this win shows that it is possible. More importantly, I hope it encourages agencies to invest in solving meaningful local problems. The strongest global work often comes from local truths, and Bangladesh has many stories that deserve international attention.

BCA: What are the current challenges faced by local agencies in Bangladesh and South Asia?

Akrum: One challenge is resources. Many agencies in South Asia operate with smaller budgets, fewer specialist departments, and less access to research and production infrastructure than agencies in larger global markets.

Another challenge is investment in long-term creativity. The industry is still evolving, and many clients understandably prioritise short-term business objectives. This can make it difficult to develop ideas that require sustained commitment and collaboration.

Awards themselves are also a challenge. Beyond creating great work, agencies need the resources to document, submit, and promote that work internationally. Many outstanding ideas from our region never enter global competitions because the costs are simply too high.

At the same time, I believe South Asia’s constraints are also its strength. We are forced to think differently, solve problems creatively, and create impact with limited resources. That often leads to ideas that are both innovative and deeply relevant.

BCA: What is your next goal?

Akrum: Winning a Graphite Pencil is a significant milestone, but it is not the finish line. Our goal is to continue creating work that delivers meaningful impact while competing at the highest international level. We want to prove that agencies from Bangladesh can consistently produce world-class ideas, not just occasionally.

For POP5, the ambition is to establish ourselves as one of the leading independent agencies in Asia. Beyond awards, we want to create a culture where creativity solves real business and societal challenges.

Personally, I would love to see many more Bangladeshi agencies winning at global award shows. The real success will come when Bangladesh becomes a regular presence on international stages rather than an exception.

BCA: What advice would you give to the next generation of creatives in the country?

Akrum: Don’t look for ideas in award annuals before looking around your own country. Some of the most powerful creative opportunities are hidden in everyday problems, cultural behaviours, and overlooked communities.

Plot Farming emerged from understanding how Bangladesh treats land, how urbanisation affects farmers, and how an old cultural practice could be reimagined for modern times.

Read widely, stay curious, and learn beyond advertising. Understand business, economics, technology, culture, and human behaviour. The best creatives are often students of many disciplines.

Most importantly, don’t assume geography defines your potential. Great ideas can come from anywhere. Bangladesh’s first D&AD Pencil is proof that world-class creativity does not belong exclusively to larger markets. What matters is the quality of the idea and the commitment to bringing it to life.

Congratulations once again to Mohammad Akrum Hossain and the team at POP5 on this landmark achievement for Bangladesh. It has been a pleasure exploring the thinking, challenges, and ambition behind Plot Farming and the broader vision shaping their work. As Bangladesh’s creative industry continues to evolve, we look forward to seeing how POP5 and its people keep pushing boundaries and contributing to the country’s growing presence on the global creative stage.
Source: Interview with Blank Canvas Asia

Can Creativity Change Lives? I Believe It Can

For me, creativity has never been only about making advertising that looks good or wins awards. Its greatest power lies in its ability to solve real problems.

Throughout my career, I have seen how a simple idea can create conversations, change behaviour, open opportunities, and sometimes improve lives. Projects such as AgroBanking, Child Marriage Prevention Loan, and Plastic Exchange Store reinforced my belief that creativity becomes more powerful when it has a purpose beyond communication.

As creatives, we have the ability to look at familiar problems differently. We can connect brands with social challenges in ways that create value for both people and businesses.

Awards are meaningful recognition, but they should never be the starting point. Start with the problem. Understand people. Find the human truth. Then ask what creativity can genuinely change.

The best idea is not always the loudest one. Sometimes, it is simply the idea that makes someone’s life a little better.

What I’ve Learned from Judging Creativity Around the World

Sitting on international award juries has given me the opportunity to experience creativity from a very different perspective.

When you judge hundreds of ideas from different countries, cultures, categories, and agencies, one thing becomes clear: great creativity has no nationality.

The strongest work usually has three things in common—a simple idea, a powerful human truth, and excellent execution. You should be able to understand the heart of an idea quickly, even when you are unfamiliar with the market where it originated.

Judging has also taught me that complexity can often weaken a great idea. If an idea requires too much explanation, its power can disappear.

For creatives from emerging markets, this creates an enormous opportunity. We don’t need to imitate work from London, New York, Tokyo, or anywhere else. Our culture, problems, behaviours, and everyday realities can become our greatest creative advantage.

Local truth can create global relevance.

From Bangladesh to the Global Creative Stage

When I began my journey in advertising, seeing Bangladeshi creativity recognised on the world’s biggest stages felt like a distant ambition.

Today, that ambition is becoming a reality.

My journey across agencies, brands, international award shows, jury rooms, speaking engagements, and coaching sessions has taught me that geography does not determine the quality of an idea.

Bangladesh is full of extraordinary human stories, cultural behaviours, contradictions, challenges, and insights. These are creative resources that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

The challenge is to transform those local truths into ideas that anyone in the world can understand.

Every time Bangladeshi work receives international recognition, it achieves something beyond an award. It changes perceptions about where world-class creativity can come from.

I want the next generation of Bangladeshi creatives to aim beyond our borders—not by becoming less Bangladeshi, but by using what makes us unique.

Bangladesh should not simply participate in global creativity. We should help shape it.

Don’t Make a Case Video. Tell a Story

A brilliant campaign can lose its impact when presented through a weak case video.

One of the most common mistakes creatives make is trying to put everything into the case. Every statistic, execution, media placement, reaction, and result does not need equal attention.

A strong case video should tell a story.

Start with the problem. Make us understand why it matters. Introduce the insight. Reveal the idea simply. Show how it came to life. Then demonstrate what changed because of it.

Most importantly, respect the audience’s intelligence.

Judges watch enormous numbers of cases. Your story needs to be understandable quickly, but clarity should never come at the expense of emotion.

When I counsel creatives on case videos, I often encourage them to remove before they add. Remove unnecessary explanations. Remove repetition. Remove anything that distracts from the central idea.

A case video should not make an average idea appear brilliant.

It should make a brilliant idea impossible to misunderstand.

A Letter to the Next Generation of Creatives

If you are beginning your creative career today, you are entering the industry at an extraordinary moment.

Technology is changing how we create. AI is changing how quickly we can explore possibilities. Platforms are changing how people consume ideas. But one thing remains unchanged: human understanding is still at the heart of great creativity.

Learn the tools, but don’t become dependent on them.

Go outside. Observe people. Listen to conversations. Travel. Ask questions. Understand your culture. Pay attention to the small behaviours everyone else ignores.

And don’t build your career around awards.

Build it around great work. Awards may follow.

Learn from senior creatives, but develop your own point of view. Study international work, but don’t copy international work. The world doesn’t need another version of someone else’s creativity.

Most importantly, remain curious.

Your greatest advantage as a young creative isn’t knowing everything. It’s having the courage to question everything.

Make work that gets noticed. But whenever possible, make work that matters.