WALLY KRYSCIAKowner/creative director

A quick story.

Early in my advertising career, working on the Tourism Canada account, I found myself at the airport waiting on a morning flight to Ottawa. It must’ve been an ungodly hour because, apart from airport staff, it seemed as though I was the only one there. As I reached for a lid after grabbing a coffee, someone set their cup down next to mine. I looked up.

“Morning” he said.

“How you doin’?” I replied with a smirk on my face. It was Alice Cooper.

I was merely 21, a fresh art director at a prominent Toronto ad agency, and in that moment I couldn't help but think, “two rock stars united by caffeine.”

OK, I was young, a little naive and certainly no rock star, but as an art director, I was living my dream.

Fast forward a couple of decades – as Vice President, Associate Creative Director at BBDO Canada, I could look back on a body of print and television work on accounts ranging from Apple and FedEx to Campbell’s and Wrigley’s. There were bank, automotive and telecommunications companies...fast food, slow food and even the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. However, it was the varied tourism and hospitality accounts that I enjoyed working on the most. Awesome clients, beautiful destinations, amazing hotels...what could be more satisfying?

Enter West Productions – a design and photography collaboration with a skew to the hospitality industry – hotels, resorts, spas, travel and leisure. You know, the good stuff.

Not only did my years in advertising provide a wealth of creative experience, they also exposed me to amazing mentors and colleagues, life-long friends that I still collaborate with on an as-need basis including talented artists, storytellers and production staff. The work on this site is a celebration of that collaborative effort.

Ultimately, what drives the work is a focus on authentic experiences. Storytelling – not just through words but also through images. Communication that accentuates the guest experience, and a sense of design that’s visually inviting and reflective of the brand.

Now that’s a story worth sharing.