Newsletter
#WFH Diaries: Jeanne Taillard and Timothy Alexandre of DDB Paris
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on everyday life, we’re checking in with creative folks all over the world to see how they’re adjusting. Here’s what’s going on with art director Jeanne Taillard and copywriter Timothy Alexandre, a creative team out of DDB Paris.
Give us a one-sentence bio of yourselves.
We’re Jeanne and Timothy, and we have been working at DDB Paris as a team for the past two years.
Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?
We live in Paris with our cat.
What’s your work situation like at the moment?
It’s good. We’ve been trying video conferencing.
Describe your socializing strategy.
Having lengthy discussions with the cat, greeting neighbors through the window, and Skyping our friends.
How are you dealing with childcare, if applicable?
The cat is doing great.
What are you reading?
We read Loïc Prigent’s phrases out loud and laugh.
[Editor’s note: Loïc Prigent is a fashion journalist known for gathering strange aphorisms heard behind the scenes at runways. So far he’s compiled two books of overheard phrases, respectively titled “I love fashion but it’s everything I hate” and “Pass me the champagne, I’ve got a cat in my throat.” He’s also pretty quirky on his own. Here are two quotes of his that are equally fun to read out loud, or quote to friends as if they are your own: Asked how he de-stresses, Prigent replied, “Typography books can put me in an euphoric state.” Asked which gift he most often gives others, he said, “A wonderful book on chairs by Donald Judd. And also almonds.”]
What are you watching?
We just discovered (and already finished a season of) RuPaul’s Drag Race.
What are you listening to?
Our cat is a bit stressed these days, so we listen to “Relaxing Music for Cats.”
[Note: Here is what we can offer you.]
How are you staying fit?
Laughing makes abs.
Have you taken up a hobby?
Besides eating, I (Jeanne) do sewing and Tim draws things.
Any tips for getting necessities?
Stay home.
An awkward moment since all this started.
This morning we bumped into the neighbors and everyone stopped breathing for a few seconds.
Best work email you got since all this started.
The first thing our creative director told us on Monday: “I hope you have enough food.”
An aha! moment since all this started.
When all the neighbors clap their hands at 8 p.m. We look at each other, it’s a happy moment.
[Note: Since the lockdown started, the French go to their windows every night and clap for the medical staff.]
What’s your theory on how this is going to play out?
Pangolins are going to have a hard time.
[Note: French creative teams seem really concerned about the fate of the pangolin.]
Angela Natividad is the European markets editor at Muse by Clio. She also writes about gaming and fashion, and whatever else she’s interested in, really. She’s based in Paris and North Italy, so if you’re local, say hi. She might eat all your food.
