All About Advanced in 7 Questions: Jade's Berghs Journey

1. Hi Jade! Tell us a bit about yourself?

Hej hej, my name is Jade!  I was born and raised in the gorgeous and sunny South-West region of France. In a sense, I like to say that I was brought up through arts and a strong Franco-Italian culture at home. This led me to dedicating more time and energy to my artistic side than my core education classes, more captivated by fashion shows and magazines than cartoons and fairy tales.

By the time it was time for higher studies, I was convinced I wanted to keep my hobbies and my work life separated so I could always have an escape zone to take my mind off work. This led to studying Anglo-American Law for a year and half, and got me to a miserable place. I was craving creative stimulation, felt emotionless was definitely missing communication in a broader sense. Then, I changed majors to Communications studies, tricked a couple teachers with pretty designs when I was bored with the assignments and it all clicked. I had to take it further and go for a Creative Advertising MBA in Paris but I wanted to contribute not just execute, this is how Art Direction hooked me.

2. You’ve had a long relationship with Berghs, can you tell us a bit more about it?

The first time I ever heard about Berghs was through the Future Lions Festival. 

From that moment, I frequently checked out the latest Berghs-stamped projects, stalked the annual awarded profiles, looked into and dreamt about its creative courses and programs from time to time. Then, Covid-19 hit and swept our everyday lifestyles out. I had been fed up with Paris’ day-to-day poison for a while and was looking for my next challenge. I had managed to make my way into the luxury sector through successful internships, but I was lacking more official creative certifications. 

Perfect timing, Berghs was on the list submitted to students for a semester abroad. I didn’t hesitate and in Spring 2021 I signed up for the Berghs Bachelor Program with a Graphic Design major. At that point, I saw myself as okay at design and drawing but was so insecure that  “can you take it to a professional level and build a career doing this?” got stuck at the back of my head. At the time, it felt like Berghs could help me figure that one out, and they did. They did even more than that. I learned 10x more in 4 months at Berghs than I ever did elsewhere, on both personal and professional levels. I was not even half-way through the program when I knew I would do anything in my power to come back. 

And I did come back. In Spring 2022, I pushed open Berghs’ massive front door once again, to wrap-up my studies with the Advertising Advanced Program with Art Direction as a specialization. I fell in love with the Swedish aesthetic, culture and Berghs’ team. 

There no place else I’d rather call home, Berghs will forever hold a very special place in my heart (and on my resume of course ahaha). The program, the education team and their support you get there, is the best recipe for growth. You’ll go out of your comfort zone yet in a safe and caring environment, you’ll thrive whether you like it or not and you will unlock creative parts of your brain you did not suspect ever existed.

3. What was your experience in the Advanced Advertising program like? 

It was way more hectic than the Bachelor program, which makes sense, and was positive for me since Advanced was my last student experience before stepping into working life. My worst enemies were my liking for details and my natural restlessness towards my work. Since I’d already established a relationship with the school, Advanced was honestly the most thriving period I’ve experienced. Fictive briefs became real client meetings, my hard drive was no longer a messy library of creative fall-outs, and the final puzzle finally came together week by week. I was given one more opportunity to try things out, one more chance to fail and one more semester of feedback. What else could a student in their final year have possibly wished for before being thrown to the wolves? In short, it was reassuring, boosting and enriching.

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"The right environment with the right people at the right time and place, it is the true lagom-core take that Berghs has that makes it so unique."

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4. Since the Advanced program ended, you’ve been interning at Acne right? How was that transition from Berghs to working life?

I have indeed!  I have the total trust of my colleagues, no two days are the same and I’m experiencing one of the Swedish emblems in the luxury sector — the transition is almost perfect to that point. But since I have a lot of experience in the production department, I’ve been more helping out on that side than the Art Direction one so far. I would wrap up that question by confessing that I don’t feel quite fully transitioned yet since my internship agreement is until mid-February. Rain check?

5. What was your favourite part of the Advanced program?

Definitely the portfolio presentation and the feedback sessions! The portfolio process was a nightmare, but the wrap up was magical and those feedback sessions were the most constructive ones by far.

6. Having gone through two Berghs programs, what do you think makes Berghs unique?

I would say that the setting helps you unconsciously aim for development. The right environment with the right people at the right time and place, it is the true lagom-core take that Berghs has that makes it so unique. But if I had to pick one thing, I would definitely go for people. We passed the energy from teacher to students and vice-versa, from one team to another, from a client meeting to a brainstorming session. Some projects I will definitely forget, but not a single encounter.

7. How can people see your work?

Listed by update order :

Instagram (even scribbles will go up on my stories)

Behance (then if I’m satisfied enough or if there’s enough material, I’ll put up a board)