The Work That Made Me: Jake Richard

Creative technology studio Appetite Creative, has been working in partnership with digital sports collectibles platform ClubStubs to create commemorative non-fungible token (NFT) ticket stubs. Little Black Book recently caught up with ClubStubs founder, Jake Richard, about the work that made him…

Jake has spent his career in digital media and analytics, from big tech gigs to consulting for growth-stage brands. A good portion of his experience lay in e-commerce marketing analytics.

The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Jake> The annual Coca-Cola holiday ads with the polar bears is like its own category of childhood memory. The company has aired throwback versions in recent years and it melts me with nostalgia. I love that they’re as slow-burn as an advert could be. Each one is so captivating. 

Coca-Cola Super Bowl Polar Bears

The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…

Jake> This is a strange thought, but I sincerely believe coming across Wordpress is what changed my life and got me into teaching myself so many other digital and creative tools over the years. Inspirationally though, I was in university when social media usage really began exploding. Instagram was the first app that really stuck in my daily life, and I remember being so astounded at the unprecedented virality unfolding among those social platforms. That atmosphere gave me my entrepreneurially creative spirit, and it never left.

The creative work that I keep revisiting…

Jake> I am constantly enthralled by Haruki Murakami’s novels, and am often listening to an audiobook version of one of them. I spend a lot of time with nonfiction content, so Murakami’s stories are my mental remedies against too much reality. For something I revere so much, I struggle to describe his appeal very well - but that’s part of the allure.

My first professional project…

Jake> My first commissioned digital project was a website for a local downtown shop. My friend’s family knew the owner and - thanks to a low price - convinced him to give us the project. He had great photos available and requested minimal revisions – a combination I didn’t know at the time would be so rare!

The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…

Jake> An old infomercial is etched into my memory - likely forever - because its repetition was akin to brainwash. I just searched for it ('HeadOn') and can not possibly describe it better than Wikipedia: “The commercial garnered widespread criticism for its loudness, lack of information, repetitiveness, and low production value.” 

The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Jake> I wonder what it would’ve been like to help produce those original iPod commercials. Talk about a watershed advertising moment. I was like 14, but still… 

The creative project that changed my career…

Jake> As much as I eye-roll about it now, an online apparel brand I once spun up was enough to convince a digital media agency to give me a shot when I really only had business analyst experience on my CV. That switch really sent me on a different path.

The work that I’m proudest of…

Jake> I project-managed the marketing campaign and website build for the opening of a beautiful theatre for the arts in a charming southern US city. Having access to the developmental process of such a significant community addition was a career highlight, and unique considerations such as donor relations and community access made it a distinctly valuable experience. 

I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Jake> We’re all probably used to it already, but remember when major airlines first started coming out with 'Basic Economy' or similarly-named tickets that gave you fewer privileges than regular seating? Not my favourite project.

The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Jake> Contributing to the strategy around sponsorship of a professional US sports team was such a rare opportunity and a great memory. Notably, it was fun for the team to devise IRL brand exposure (jerseys, stadium signage, etc.) and experiential marketing opportunities and measurement.