Jason Karley: “‘The Process’ Is Intentionally Set Up to Get to Safe Ideas”

Little Black Book is the official media partner of the Dead Ad Society, the hungryman-founded award show that resurrects killed ideas.

Launched in 2024, this revival of hibernating concepts sees entered scripts being performed live by an improv group at the awards show. This year it will take place on September 18th at The Mint in Los Angeles after kicking off in New York City last year. A panel of judges crowns a winner, which is then brought to life by hungryman and a collection of companies – including Work Editorial, Sonic Union, ARC, Synapse and the Screen Actors Guild – that support the show with funding, time and resources. Last year's winning script was recently launched as a finished production for KUL MOCKS, a non-alcoholic beverage brand.

“We called it an anti-award show,” says Caleb Dewart, managing partner of hungryman. “It’s supposed to be wild. The scripts were performed live - a glorified table read. It was messy, imperfect, and that was the point. That’s the heart of it.”

Entries for this year’s show are open until August 15th, 2025 at 4pm PDT.

Little Black Book is catching up with this year’s jurors for honest conversations about the ideas that got away – the ones that died, came back, and the ones that stayed dead.

We chatted to Jason Karley, executive creative director at TBWA\ Chiat\ Day LA about the resurrection of two of his best pieces of work.

​Check out previous entries to the interview series here.

LBB> Let's start with the obvious question: Is there an idea you’re still emotionally attached to, even years later?

Jason> The most recent was a DIRECTV idea targeting those few people in remote places that still need to use a satellite dish. Ironically, it was a static/OOH idea. The anthemic film script was fun, but the OOH was brilliant. And it still makes me mad.

LBB> What did the death of it teach you about the business? Or about yourself?

Jason> Sometimes great ideas die simply because the business needs change and the brief goes away. And that maybe I need to switch to decaf…

LBB> What do you look for in a dead ad that makes you say, ‘This deserves to live’?

Jason> A fresh point of view, a twisted insight, or execution I‘ve never seen before. I look for the little flicker of an idea like when ET’s heart starts to beat real slow and faint… and I’m definitely not gonna let ET die on my watch.

LBB> How are you feeling about judging scripts in real time, in front of a live audience?

Jason> I assume there will be an applause sign so it should be fun…

LBB> How will you approach judging a script that’s being performed live? Do you think the crowd will sway you?

Jason> I think it should… a little. It’s like an SNL table read. If it’s absolutely killing, who am I to say it’s not actually good?

LBB> Dead Ad Society is part award show, part séance. What’s your mindset heading into the room?

Jason> Now I’m worried one of my grandparents will show up and see what I do for a living.

LBB> What’s the most ridiculous reason an idea of yours was killed?

Jason> The client liking it too much and wanting to save it for a bigger moment.

LBB> What’s your theory on why great ideas often don’t survive the process?

Jason> ‘The process’ is intentionally set up to get to safe ideas that won’t offend anyone. Or get anyone yelled at or fired. Yet almost all the best ideas are somewhat polarising or at least a little too edgy for someone somewhere.

LBB> Outside of this award show, have you ever seen a killed idea come back to life and succeed later?

Jason> Two of the best things I’ve ever made were both dead.

Bud Light - Swear Jar was shot and edited but the client didn’t care about an ad that could only run online so they sat on it until we finally convinced them people would still notice it if it was only online.

And Ronald McDonald Loves Taco Bell’s Breakfast was dead for almost an entire year while lawyers fought over whether or not we would get sued and for how much (the legal loophole of getting real Ronald McDonald of course being the power of the idea).

LBB> Have you ever been the one to kill an idea - and regretted it?

Jason> I only kill ideas that deserve it. Or have committed heinous crimes against humanity.

LBB> If you had to hold a funeral for a dead idea, what song would play?

Jason> A mashup of Led Zeppelin ‘Immigrant Song’ and Bone Thugs N Harmony ‘Crossroads’ obviously.