“We’ve Seen That Magic Trick Before”: Taj Critchlow on the Work That Deserves Immortality

There is a certain irony in asking someone who spends much of his working life looking towards the next cultural shift what makes creative work last. But for Taj Critchlow, the answer is surprisingly straightforward. He wants us to look beyond the moment.

As the founder and managing partner of Fela, Taj operates across the worlds of commercials, music videos, documentaries, film and photography, with the Toronto- and Los Angeles-based production company built around a philosophy of authentic storytelling and cultural impact. Fela's roster and credits span work for artists including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Coldplay, alongside brands including Nike, Spotify, Honda and Lego.

‘Own Your Culture, Tell Your Stories’ is the production company’s official mantra – a specific perspective that makes Taj an invaluable member of this year's Canadian Immortal Awards jury.

For the third time, this autumn Taj will join an all-Canadian panel tasked with deciding which pieces of work best represent the country's creative community before progressing to the wider competition. When I catch up with him, it becomes quickly apparent that, after a few turns, he has enough experience of the jury room to know there is no straightforward formula for what will emerge.

“Being an all-Canadian jury is a start, and I love that it's in person,” he says. “It's a great group of execs from different disciplines, which makes for an entertaining experience. It’s also an education for me to learn how people judge the work for this award show, and what influences their decisions.”

Diversity of perspective is certainly important for a competition that deliberately asks jurors to step outside the conventional category-by-category awards mindset. When Taj sat on the Canadian jury in 2024, discussions quickly became centred around the question of impact, with the Fela founder arguing that cultural impact was one of the best measures of a successful piece of work. The conversation subsequently expanded into societal impact, brand impact and the particular impact of work on Canada.

Last year, he was back in the room, where he spoke about the importance of taking a “zoomed-out perspective” when deciding which work should represent Canada on the international stage.

This year, his definition has become even more distilled. “Work that is timeless, elevated in craft, and not tied to an expired trend,” is his description.
It is a succinct answer that speaks to a much broader concern in an industry increasingly preoccupied with quick turnarounds and immediacy. Conversely, Taj believes immortality is about creating something capable of surviving the context that produced it.

This thinking is evident in his recent choice for LBB's My Most Immortal Ad series. Asked to nominate a piece of work that has stood the test of time, Taj chose Artículo 19's The Shooting, a short film that confronts the risks faced by journalists in Mexico. “When I first saw this piece, it rocked me to the core,” he explains, praising the craft, intensity and authenticity, stating that its relevance has only grown with time.

Clearly, when considering the work that lasts, Taj’s instinct is not to point towards a particularly clever technological execution or whatever visual language is currently trending. He proactively gravitates towards work that makes a person feel something instead.

“I’m excited to see our industry return to grounded stories about slices of life and humanity,” he says. “Camera tricks and visual aesthetics are fun, but I love feeling something that moves my soul, challenges my outlook on life, and entertains me at the same time.”

Documenting humanity is a theme closely connected to the work Taj has spent much of his career championing. Fela was founded with a mission to amplify underrepresented voices, and has increasingly expanded from music videos and commercials into documentaries and long-form narrative work. The company's filmmaking roster has included directors such as Karena Evans, Jasmin Mozaffari and others working across commercial and cultural storytelling.

The filmmaker’s own influence extends beyond production, too. In 2025, he became the first recipient of the Advertising & Design Club of Canada's Changemaker Award, recognising his contribution to representation and his role in helping shape a more inclusive creative landscape.

So when Taj talks about the need for the industry to make room for different voices, he knows what he's talking about.

“I would love to see more bold choices and risk-taking from decision-makers, rather than playing it safe and going with the same handful of folks over and over again,” he urges. “It's boring... Not only does the work look the same, but we've seen that magic trick before.”

For Taj, the responsibility extends beyond finding new faces for the sake of novelty. He is advocating for emerging storytellers to develop voices that might ultimately influence culture in ways the industry cannot predict

On this topic, he points towards independent filmmakers such as Curry Barker, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, Kane Parsons, Damian McCarthy and Rose Glass as examples of artists who have helped develop new generations of storytelling outside the traditional structures of Hollywood.

“We must adopt that same practice more if we intend to move the needle of arts and culture,” he insists.

It is also why his perspective on the Canadian creative community feels particularly pertinent. Fela operates between Toronto and Los Angeles, while Taj’s career has moved fluidly between advertising, music, film and wider pop culture. His work has seen him invited into rooms with some of the world's biggest artists and brands, but his argument is ultimately for a creative industry that is less interested in reproducing established – and outdated – formulas. Representation being one such formula.

“Diversity and inclusion remain lacking in our industry,” he says. “We've reverted to default mode rather than evolving. And I will forever champion creating a world where it is normalised rather than a mandate or another forgotten headline.”

It is a philosophy that places a certain responsibility on the jury itself. While the Canadian panel will certainly discuss the technical accomplishments and viral buzz of campaigns,

Taj also wants to see Canada put forward as a representation of its creative voice. And he knows that is an inherently subjective process.

“The outcome of the competition is always up for grabs,” he says. “Nevertheless, the jury is collectively putting our country's best work forward to represent our creative community as a whole. The competition is steep, and art is subjective. You never know how things will play out in the end.”

When it comes to judging creative work, there are no guarantees of what will survive, and no formula for predicting which piece of work will still matter years after its campaign window has closed. But after three turns in the jury room, Taj has arrived at a fairly firm view of what gives work a fighting chance.

It needs to be beautifully made, of course. It needs to connect with people. It needs to say something beyond the immediate demands of the brief. And, perhaps most importantly, it needs to resist the temptation to simply repeat what has already worked.

Because trends expire. Techniques date. The industry's favourite tricks eventually become familiar, “boring” even. So, for these reasons, the work that remains is the work that manages to become something more human. And ultimately, something that feels eternally impactful.

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Read more about The Immortal Awards here

Read more from LBB's April Summers here