5 Minutes with... Rob Omodiagbe
Rob Omodiagbe’s international career has taken him all over the world. The Cannes Lions juror and Creative Person of the Year finalist is now based in Sydney, where he works as executive creative director at APJC, Just Global Inc. Not one to take creative experiences for granted, Rob applies the lessons learnt over the course of his colourful career in his role at Just Global, delivering creative solutions, solving brand identity problems and working on integrated B2C advertising campaigns. Here, he lets LBB’s April Summers in on his personal philosophy of collaborating with “people smarter than me”. He also reveals how his insatiably itchy feet led him to a job in advertising and why the best creative visionaries learn how to combine talent with obsession.
LBB> How and when did you decide this was the industry you wanted to get into?
Rob> I’d always liked art, but at sixteen I was studying Maths, Physics and Economics. After an underwhelming introduction to Keynes, I decided to swap economic theory for painting, before swapping painting for graphic design. After art school I swapped graphic design for illustration, then went back to design, where I got hooked on ideas. Finally, I swapped that for advertising before eventually starting to paint again… Itchy feet never helped anyone plan a career!
LBB> How do your previous experiences at global enterprises BBH, J. Walter Thompson and The Chase inform the work you do in your current role as ECD at Just Global?
Rob> Really good creatives combine talent and obsession. I’ve met designers who’d kern the letters of every word of an annual report and great ad people who thought they were only as good as their last piece of work – I admired them all. B2B tech has its challenges. Budgets are low and process is often prioritised over communication. That means talk often focuses on “how” to effectively get a message to potential customers and not “what” an effective message actually looks like.
LBB> Is there a particular project that stands out as a pivotal moment in your career? If so, which one and why?
Rob> Roses for De Beers, an installation of 25,000 red roses constructed in Grand Central Station, is a favourite. It smelt great too!
LBB> Safe to say a lot has changed since you first started out in the industry. Is there any particular change you are most grateful to see?
Rob> Diversity, but it’s been a slow-turning ship.
LBB> Do you have a favourite campaign or creative project from the last year that stands out and has inspired you?
Rob> ‘Duel’ for NRMA by Bear Meets Eagle On Fire. It’s simple, charming and beautifully executed. Hard to fault as a piece of communication.
LBB> In 2022 you were on the jury for the new Creative B2B category at Cannes Lions. How did this experience impact your view of the future of industry awards?
Rob> It didn’t. However, one winner did make me reevaluate what B2B creativity can achieve, and that was D’leteren’s ‘Reduce the Ride’. Happiness Brussels solved a business problem by turning a client into a story-maker rather than a storyteller. The campaign led to the D’leteren landing a large contract, creating brand evangelists out of a nation (rather than mere customers) and doing genuine good as well.
LBB> What was the biggest takeaway from last year’s Cannes Lions?
Rob> We shortlisted and awarded some great work, but my main takeaway was the fact that (as far as I could tell) none came from what could be described as a ‘B2B-specific agency’. Maybe there’s Lion-worthy work being done by B2B agencies that wasn’t entered in the category’s inaugural year? Maybe the client relationships, ambition and budgets that drove the best of what we saw are beyond the reach of agencies toiling away in ABM and Lead Generation? Or maybe things will be different next year?
LBB> What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Rob> Make work that moves people.
LBB> And what advice do you have for creative directors of the future?
Rob> Take advice from people smarter than me, like the one mentioned above.
