Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Ejike.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I attended the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Upon completion of my Bachelor’s degree, I moved to Lagos, the commercial hub of the country and that is where my modelling career truly began. I landed my first commercial role in 2018 for a prominent financial institution and this made brands and agencies take notice of me.
I quickly followed up with a role in Uber’s first ever Nigerian ad that gained global recognition and caused a surge in Uber’s popularity. Then came BetKing, a new player in the Nigerian betting scene. Being a part of the project put me on screens all over Africa whenever football was being aired.
The rest, they say, is history…
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been smooth sometimes and bumpy on some others.
The primary struggle lies in the increase in difficulty to land prominent brand gigs while you have a very active and public campaign going on. If your face is currently trending, prominent brands prefer not to hire you, till your “popularity” cools down.
Another struggle lies in the wheeling and dealing that agents do that affects a model’s final remuneration. Ideally, a model gets to relate directly with a company’s brand management, but in less ideal cases, agents (or agencies) come in between model and brand, and the outcome is not favourable.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialise in commercials for Corporate brands like banks, FMCG brands that usually capture a family setting, as well as fashion brands focused on corporate and casual fits.
I am known for my striking corporate quintessential black man look. This sets me apart from most models.
I am most proud of the several first projects for brands that I was privileged to work with. The most recent being my work with Delborough Hotel.
I am proud of being among the talents for Uber’s first commercial in Nigeria.
I am also proud of my work with Puma.
What’s next?
I’m looking forward to working with more global brands.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chrisejike
