Okay, here we go. Thanks so much for asking these questions - this was a real joy.
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Was advertising your backup career or your dream job? If it was your back up what was your dream and why did you give up on it?
Ouch! But okay… I guess Advertising was never a dream job, specifically.
When I do daydream, it’s never about having a job - but rather that I have already achieved greatness and now have lots of money and time to fuss about very specific things to do with my clothing and where I meet my friends for lunch and how I’d be so gracious to everyone who recognises me in the street.
I would love to finish writing a novel. But my dream is to have already written a great one and just be wandering around like a London version of Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm. I haven’t given up on that.
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What 2023 ad do you wish you made?
Some of my colleagues at Mother London made this turkey-sized meatball for an Ikea Christmas thingie - which is gross but very funny.
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What word is now hack in ads?
It’s hard to narrow down, but the word “epic” has been used to death by the ad industry over the last 10+ years (I am not innocent on this front).
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What would be the worst possible name for your ad firm?
Oh they’re all so embarrassing, the agency names.
10 or so years ago there was an Australian agency called “Bloke” run by three white guys. That stands out as pretty tonedeaf to me, but at least they told the truth?
I’ve always thought if I were to start an agency I’d call it Moderation Industries and be honest about my attitude to work. Less cringey than “Bloke” but I’m not sure I’d attract many marketeers.
Bloke is pretty bad though.
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What’s the Christmas pudding recipe?
That’s classified, sorry.
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What does an Australian in England think of the John Lewis Xmas ads?
I really like how much the UK loves Christmas. I love all the parties and the December pints and when TV shows do Christmas specials.
But I just don’t get the national obsession with an annual department store ad. Even as an indoctrinated advertising person it leaves me feeling cold.
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Which is more different, British agency life versus Australian, or agency life today versus agency life ten years ago?
The UK and Australia have their specific, fun-to-pick-apart differences - but I suspect the bigger changes have happened across-the-board in the last ten years.
There’s the boring things like the vast majority of agency’s income now comes from project work instead of monthly retainers - which means less stability. And that ads have to fit in billions of different spaces, none of which we’re sure people are watching. Then there’s the positive cultural changes like how it’s no longer acceptable to send a “top five” email about who you’d like to sleep with on your last day and agency leaders aren’t allowed to so-easily exploit and burn out the talents of younger people in the industry (I’m not saying it doesn’t still happen, but it seems to have got a lot better).
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Where is your novel?
Some of it is written down in A5 notebooks in my top drawer and the rest of it is still on its way. I’m trying really hard, though. Thank you for asking this.
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Will you ever make Pret memes again?
Thanks for being an Ads That Go Hard subscriber. Have a nice end of the year.
- James x