Moving the Needle: Rob Jones

At DDB, our people are the heart and soul to our agency. We believe that the inclusivity of thought and background leads to when we, as a company, are able to be the most authentic and creative. Thus, allowing creativity to be the most powerful force within our business; it has the power to make people laugh, cry, think, alter their behaviour, create change for the world, and impact culture.  

Rob Jones is a business director at adam&eveDDB NYC. Prior to this, Rob spent nearly a decade at London agencies, including Rainey Kelly RKCR/Y&R (now VML) where he worked across global brands Land Rover, Colgate and Virgin Atlantic, before moving over to adam&eveDDB London. Here, Rob worked on iconic British brands Waitrose, John Lewis and the Automobile Association (AA), as well as leading the global portfolio for Diageo.  Originally from Wales, Rob now lives in Brooklyn.

1. Name, Title, Office, Link to LinkedIn Page  

Rob Jones, business director, adam&eveDDB NYC

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-jones-321b2686/

2. What is your personal mantra?   

I'm not sure I have one to be honest. Although, I’ve always loved the quote 'Comparison is the thief of joy'. I sometimes get imposter syndrome, so it’s helpful to remind myself that it’s unproductive to compare yourself to others - we can all provide something different, and that’s what makes it fun and interesting. 

3. How did you wind up in advertising?  

I grew up on a dairy farm in rural Wales, and I left the farm when I was 18 for the bright lights of London. It was a massive culture shock; the first time living away from parents, in a big city, studying in English (I'd been taught in Welsh until I was 18) and swapped the peaceful mountains for sirens and skyscrapers. I found it exhilarating, and knew London was the place I wanted to be. Studying history of art really ignited my passion for visual culture and design, and I somehow found advertising as a path where visual culture could play a role in my day to day. At 21 I started at Rainey Kelly, and my love for agency life started from there. 

4. What is a piece of creative that you worked on that particularly moved you?  

Back at adam&eveDDB London, I worked on the 2019 John Lewis Holiday campaign. If you don’t already know, the holiday season in the UK is our Superbowl, and John Lewis is a retailer who is renowned for owning the moment, much like when you first see the Coca-Cola holiday truck for the first time, first seeing the John Lewis commercial is a cultural zeitgeist in the UK.. And with this, comes the pressure of delivering another blockbuster intensifying year after year. But, when it launched, seeing the nation react to it was a feeling I will never forget, where people speak about it in the post office, small talk round the water cooler, and group messages come to life with everyone having something to say about it. All the late nights, the intense and complex production, and having to be on holiday-mode all year round became worth it. It’s a common goal in the industry to make work that your mum will talk about, rather than the industry alone, but it was something else to see a whole nation talking about it. 

5. What does your daily routine consist of?  

I wake up in Williamsburg, try to work out most mornings before heading to the office in Soho, which is funny because I’m not naturally an early bird or anywhere near fitness obsessed, but  I feel great when I’ve had an hour or so of doing something for myself before my day kicks off. Like most of us, no day is the same so as soon as I open my laptop anything that resembles a daily routine ends, but I do consistently try to squeeze as much out of our days in the office as possible with plenty of facetime. After that, despite being in my third year of living in NYC I still feel like I’ve just stepped off the plane, so any chance I get to enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer, I’ll take it!

6. When do you feel the most powerful?   

One of the main reasons I’ve been at adam&eveDDB as long as I have, is because as an agency we truly believe and actively enforce that an idea can come from anywhere. Hierarchy, departments and egos are pushed to one side, and we all get together to solve the problem. So for me, it’s not an individual feeling, it’s that feeling when we’re all in a room, on the cusp of something great. 

7. Which of the DDB Four Freedoms is the most important to you and why? 

Freedom to Be - I like working with different perspectives and unique points of view. It makes our work more interesting, and more importantly, better. 

8. What is one source of creative inspiration you draw from outside of work?  

I’m not a creative by title, but I think account people can and should be creative. 

I have always spent a lot of my spare time surrounded by food. Cooking is a big part of my life – it’s where I get creative inspiration from and where I get to exercise it the most. Although, I’d like to think my timing management is much better in the office than in the kitchen! 

I also like to write about it, I shudder at the words “food blog”, but during the pandemic, I created a Welsh food magazine to celebrate local produce and creators, which I think have always been undercelebrated, and as a result was part of a documentary last year where I hosted a Welsh chef in NYC and showed him the best parts of the city, as well as attending the UN to promote Welsh produce in the US. I guess you never know where your passions can take you!

9. Wishes or aspirations for the advertising industry?   

To embrace the change. The industry is changing and evolving now more than ever, and the way we worked and the type of work we made a few years ago needs to evolve with it. It’s important that agencies lead the charge with this change, rather than react to it. I would also love to see the industry become much more accessible for younger talent – unfortunately, it is still a little too difficult for young people from all backgrounds to access it, learn about it, and fall in love with it. 

10. How are you moving the advertising industry forward?  

That’s a big question! I guess I always try to be kind and empathetic, and I'm listening. 

11. What has been your most measurable impact?   

In addition to making work that is as effective and impactful as it can be, I always try to create a friendly and encouraging environment for my team, so seeing them grow, develop and have fun along the way is really important to me. I’m shamelessly a people-pleaser so if my teams happy, I’m happy!

12. Lasting words to leave us with:

Let’s all be here for a good time AND a long time.