“I Want to Be as Close to the People and Work as Possible”
Early on in his career, Jake Bester learnt a valuable lesson, “you really need to exhaustively explore everything to get to the best work.” And while the pace of work doesn’t always allow for it these days, he’s still looking for the beauty that comes from a deep dive.
M&C Saatchi Abel’s creative partner has over 20 years of industry experience, starting on the client services side of things and then moving over to copywriting, and even trying his hand at design. In those early days, campaigns for the car brand Volkswagen remained to be some of his proudest works. “I would love to see where these campaigns could have gone today with all the technology and platforms we now have at our disposal,” he says.
In his role as creative partner, having worked across brands such as Red Bull, Volkswagen, SAB, MWE, adidas, Nando's and Marmite, he likes to stay close to the creatives on his team and be involved in all the work being ideated. When he isn’t in his daily meetings, you’ll find him contemplating creative briefs in his studio and plotting ways to win upcoming pitches.
To hear more about the journey and process, as well as a surprising fact that’ll leave you feeling a bit woozy (you’ll have to read to the end for that one), Jake speaks to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani.
[Dischem - Better Health Starts Here]
LBB> You started out over 20 years ago at Ogilvy Cape Town on the client services side of things. Can you talk us through the process that got you to that first role?
Jake> All that time ago I applied at The Red and Yellow for copywriting. They suggested I would get more out of the course as a postgraduate. Concurrently, I applied to the Cape Technikon and was accepted on a sports bursary for squash, so I went there and did a course in marketing before heading to The Red and Yellow. The course had an internship which I did at Ogilvy. This turned into a three-year exploration of the client service side of the business.
LBB> From there, how did you hone your knowledge of the industry and find your way into copywriting, and the creative side of things?
Jake> Having worked in the industry for three years was a great advantage when heading back to study. During my time working I had however also developed an interest in design so before heading to study copy, I tried design for a few years. I think the more you study and explore, the better a creative you become.
LBB> What was the first creative brief you worked on and did it leave an impression?
Jake> My first brief ever was on a job called ‘Mystery Jackpot Man’. It left a mark, not an impression. I’d rather not talk about it.
LBB> In those early days, what were some of the formative lessons which stuck with you?
Jake> I guess the one lesson that has always stuck is that you really need to exhaustively explore everything to get to the best work. You need to have lots of ideas to get to the best ones or to at least know that the early ones you have are the winners. We did a ton of options back then and I think the pace of the industry these days completely takes away from the beauty of really deep diving into briefs.
LBB> Since then, what are some of your favourite campaigns to have worked on and why?
Jake> I’ve always loved the simplicity of print advertising because it forces you to really get to the crux of what you are trying to say. Bearing that in mind, some of my favourite pieces of work from early on in my career was print work for VW. I would love to see where these campaigns could have gone today with all the technology and platforms we now have at our disposal.
In more recent times, the collaboration we worked on between Superbalist and Spotify is still very important to me, mostly because we really had to push for a long time to get it made. It’s a great feeling to see a piece of your work that you really believe in and have fought for come to life.
I have also really enjoyed working on the re-positioning of Dischem. Sometimes you just want to make a beautiful piece of film and we so seldom get to do so.
LBB> After Ogilvy, you worked as an ECD at Publicis Machine as well as taking on an editor role at ididthatad.com before becoming a creative partner at M&C Saatchi Abel. How did your experience prepare you for the role?
Jake> You’re preparing for your next role your whole life. So, the more things you can do on the way, the better you will be when you get there. The more senior you get, the more you have to see things from as many different angles as possible, and I have been very lucky to experience this industry from all sides.
While I was studying, I worked in film production. I worked as a suit, a copywriter, and an art director. I run my own design projects on the side through a few passion projects and being an editor at ididthatad.com allowed me to see the work we produce from an outside perspective. I hope that all this collectively makes me a better decision-maker with regard to creative work at M&C.
LBB> What does your day-to-day look like and what are your favourite aspects of the role?
Jake> Day to day looks like lots of meetings, which I don’t love.
What I am absolutely in love with is my studio. And I like beating other agencies in pitches.
LBB> Your work includes brands such as Red Bull, Volkswagen, SAB, MWE, adidas, Nando's and Marmite, and you’ve also sat on juries to evaluate work. Did judging change the way you work or make you consider different aspects of the process?
Jake> Judging has only influenced the way I look at entering work into award shows. The way I like to make work is to find the best ideas and make them the best they can be. That way the happiness and pride in what is produced is linked to what we as a studio value and consider good. Rather this than a room full of strangers deciding on your behalf. Imagine going to a restaurant with 12 friends and expecting them to all order the same thing off the menu. It’s highly unlikely. My favourite thing about judging awards is seeing all the amazing work because regardless of what wins, it keeps you very honest about what the overall bar for excellence is.
LBB> What is your leadership style and how do you implement that approach?
Jake> I don’t like to be distant. I want to be as close to the people and to the work as possible. I’m a cool dad.
LBB> Creatives often have a long list of hobbies and interests, can you share some of yours?
Jake> Surfing, music, art, design, travel, gardening, house hunting, cooking, hounds, running. In no particular order.
LBB> What’s something about yourself that people might be surprised to learn?
Jake> My finger was cut off and reattached. I also have a surf brand called York Surf, but you’re probably still thinking about the first thing.
