5 Minutes with… Tom Hamling
Tom Hamling thinks if brands want to become rich and famous, they need to make creative made ‘for the people’. In fact, it’s the guiding principle of his agency, THE MAYOR, which he took the leap to launch in December 2022 after a 20+ year career as a creative at the likes of GSD&M, RPA, and 180LA.
His team's work on Popeyes' ‘Chicken Wars’ made the brand famous worldwide. He helped double Avocados from Mexico's business with award-winning Super Bowl work, and reshaped Pizza Hut into QSR Magazine's ‘Transformational Brand of the Year’. At RPA, the agency turned Farmers Insurance from a seemingly invisible brand into one talked about at the Oscars and on ‘Jeopardy’.
Now, with THE MAYOR, he’s distilling all of that experience into moulding an agency ethos of his own. And he’s doing it all out of Nashville, Tennessee - his hometown that he moved back to a few years ago.
To find out more about THE MAYOR, and what it takes to make ‘creative for the people’, LBB’s Addison Capper chatted with Tom.
LBB> You launched THE MAYOR about six months ago - why did you have the desire to launch your own agency?
Tom> Probably my masochistic love of being uncomfortable. Building something out of nothing is my favourite thing in the world. It’s also scary. But it’s good to be scared.
I had a very happy and rewarding 20+ years in NY, LA and Austin but was ready for
the next thing. Spontaneity won out.
LBB> When did that urge begin? And since then, how has the vision you've had for your own agency evolved and developed?
Tom> Truthfully, it probably began when I was just starting out in New York. Then, it picked up a little steam at every stop along the way. I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time at a few independents (WongDoody, 72andSunny, and RPA) and a handful of holding company shops (Lowe, 180LA, GSD&M). Every one of those places is wildly different in approach. You could learn what worked…what didn’t…and what could be totally redesigned.
LBB> Speaking of vision, tell me about THE MAYOR’s. What inspired the agency name? What’s your goal?
Tom> It’s a mayor’s job to serve the people and that’s what we intend to do. Our vision is simple: ‘Creative for the People’. It is built on the fact that people don’t like advertising. Nobody wakes up wondering what your brand is going to do that day. Nobody cares. THE MAYOR creates work that people love because that creates culture. And brands that make culture make money. Our goal is simple, too: great work with a great process. More than ever, clients want quick and collaborative partners to make them rich and famous. Let’s give that to them.
LBB> Opening THE MAYOR has also marked a move back to your hometown Nashville. How will the city influence the work you do and the way you grow?
Tom> I left Nashville in the mid-’90s and moved back 20 years later. The transformation has been unbelievable. I remember living in LA and reading a big New York Times article about Nashville being the new ‘it’ city. That probably accelerated the gravitational pull. Nashville has always been a creative hub when it comes to music and food but I’m excited by how much the art and tech scenes have evolved. It goes without saying that THE MAYOR wants to be a part of making stuff that continues to put Nashville in the spotlight.
LBB> How did you wind up working in advertising? A planned thing or a happy accident?
Tom> High school career day. Some CD visited and showed their reel. They said they were thinking of an idea for a TV commercial while walking across campus. That sounded way more up my alley than the other doctor, lawyer and banker speakers. I was relieved to know that being a smartass just might work out in the end.
LBB> You were at GSD&M before - how has your experience at the Austin agency informed how you're approaching work with THE MAYOR?
Tom> ‘Good people’ is such a cliché but it is so true to that place. There were no egos. Love them all. When I told them what I wanted to do, they were unbelievably supportive because I think raising happy people is as much in their DNA as anything. There are great lessons to learn from that… especially post-pandemic, as every agency is trying its best to figure out the best way to operate. For me to be happy, advertising has to be fun. And our hallways need to be filled with happy people. If we start there, making good stuff should be automatic.
LBB> What past work are you particularly proud of and why?
Tom> I’m very proud of the work our teams were able to do on four particular clients: Popeyes, Farmers Insurance, Avocados from Mexico and Pizza Hut. All of these brands really needed help. It takes a ton of great people and clients all moving in the same direction to truly transform the direction of a brand and we were lucky enough to really change the trajectory of all those.
LBB> What does the rest of 2023 look like for you?
Tom> Keep helping our current clients grow. And find new brands who want to. If brands want to be noticed, they have to make work that people love. Creative for the people!
