Ad Man

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As a veteran of the advertising and design industry, I look back at those 36 years with warmth and fondness.

 

Most of this warmth is for an agency I started with my partners Kevan Aspoas, Joanne Thomas and Graham Warsop: The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town.

For 22 years, each day was filled with fascinating people, interesting briefs, amazing solutions to clients' problems, and the occasional award (actually, there were periods when we were awarded quite frequently, and then there were those darn dry patches).

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We produced some outstanding work, lots of good work and some work that's a little embarrassing. But, the best of all, is that we ‘produced’ fantastic people, many of whom went on to become leaders of agencies themselves. These people and their work made me esteemed enough to be asked to judge One Show twice, Cannes twice and a myriad of award shows all over the world.

 

During those 22 years, I learned a lot. I learned that I love strategy and solving a client’s business problem.

I learned that I was a natural Creative Director, but I was an awkward Executive Creative Director.

I learned that I loved design as much as advertising.

I learned that growing people is how you grow an agency. Standing on the shoulders of giants is a cliché, but it’s true. I am who I am because of the people I worked with.

In the end, I learned that I love teaching as much as I loved the ad industry.