Su May Tan-Kool of VaynerMedia on Creating a Safe Space

She adopted a 'yes, and' attitude to excel

Su May is vice president of client partnerships, EMEA, for VaynerMedia. Based in the agency’s Amsterdam office, she works with brands such as Zalando, American Eagle, Booking.com and Indeed.

Before joining Vayner, Su May was group brand director at 72andSunny, working with Google, Samsung, Smirnoff and eBay.

We spent two minutes with Su May to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Su May, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in a small town near Utrecht, bang in the middle of The Netherlands. I moved to Amsterdam and lived there for all of my 20s and 30s. It was the best decision ever, as most of my wild memories and friendships started there. I’ve recently moved to Hilversum, where we found our dream house.

How you first realized you were creative.

As a kid, I wasn’t the type who would climb trees or run around the playground. If I wasn’t playing piano, dancing or singing to the annoyance of my older sister, you could find me drawing or painting while listening to music.   

A person you idolized creatively early on.

This question makes me smile, as it brings me back to my childhood and the neighbor who lived (and still lives) next to our family home, Ike. She was the one who introduced me to the world of drawing and painting. She is an artist herself. Ike introduced me to Karel Appel, Mondrian, Van Gogh and Basquiat, which laid the foundations of my creative taste. Also, Tina Turner. She sparked my creativity.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

With my early introduction to Karel Appel and Basquiat, I tend to be obsessed with art that feels similar. Saxon J.J. Quin caught my eye via Instagram. The almost childlike art has a sense of freedom but also a hint of darkness. 

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

Baby Reindeer. It’s the most raw, jarring and unsettling series I watched this year. Beautifully shot, it touches on so many painful subjects. It’s shocking, yet manages to make you smile every now and again. It’s based on a true story, so you’re watching someone’s lived experience. I’m inspired by the makers’ courage and craft. 

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.

The Smirnoff “We’re Open” work. It kicked off a series of campaigns involving real people within their communities, creating a stage for these voices to inspire others. My fave was Chris Fonseca, a dance teacher with a hearing impairment. We built a partnership with him beyond the campaign, too. Keep in mind that this was 10 years ago. In today’s world, my view is that inclusivity should no longer be the message but ingrained in the work—always. The learnings were many. I would have loved at that time to go even deeper in terms of support and actions in culture. 

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A recent project you’re proud of. 

Even the most incredible creative directors or strategists can’t be experts concerning all of today’s cultures and subcultures. Gone are the days when ad agencies told people what was cool. Instead, we put social media at the center of everything. It is where real people communicate and share what they love. So, our amazing team pulls together dozens of complex audience profiles and makes content for them. Our strategists help guide work based on what’s happening in culture and different platform algorithms to engage as many people as possible. Recent work for Zalando Summer of Sports 2024 campaign, Indeed France and Indeed NL are all great examples.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

#wombstories from Libresse/Bodyform. I remember seeing this online and sharing it. Libresse really pushed the needle. Women’s pain is often dismissed and misdiagnosed, due to the pain and credibility gaps.

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Someone else’s work you admired lately.

I loved the SSENSE Kids launch campaign. The execution is a spelling bee format and lives in a content series on Instagram. It features kids wearing brand apparel. They spell out designer names from Thom Browne to Rick Owens. It’s focused on brand awareness but also taps into the human insight of how brands are mispronounced.

Your main strength as a creative person.

The ability to build on other people’s ideas by having a “yes, and” mindset. This creates a safe space for ideas to flow. It’s key to create an environment for people to do their best work.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

Carlo Cavallone would be that person who unintentionally and probably unknowingly has been my mentor creatively. Every review I was in with him, you’d never leave the room without a clear vision for the work. He would roll up his sleeves for anything, and put the same care in reviewing a banner as he would for a multi-million-dollar campaign. 

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

By creating a safe space where they can exercise their creative voice and thinking. Truly adopting that “yes, and” mindset and letting them do their thing. I am now working closely with VJ Anand, our global ECD at VaynerMedia. He’s amazing at letting young creators flourish and helping them hone their ideas through that “yes, and” attitude. It removes the subjectivity that we often see in other creative environments, where the top layers are making the decisions and the next gen’s ideas never see the light of day.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

Run a little food stand where I would make and sell the best chicken sateh or egg fried rice ever. Or archeology. Lol.