Jason Sperling is a creative director at TBWA/Media Arts Lab in LA and the creative intelligence behind the hugely popular Mac vs. PC campaign, for which he's supervised both broadcast and online executions for the campaign since its inception in 2006. Sperling earned an MFA in advertising from Academy of Art University in 1998 and also taught graduate-level advertising courses there between 1995 and 2000.
07.06.10
A Firm Pestering and A Compulsory Gut-Punch
If you have a degree in what field is it? I was a sociology major at UCLA (along with the entire football team) and have a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
If you could choose one person to work with (outside your own agency) who would it be? It sounds like such a cliché, but I would love to work with Spike Jonze. The guy is one of the most talented and inspiring storytellers of this generation, and just the thought of him adding his own interpretation to one of my own ideas gives me goose bumps.
Who was the client for your first advertising project? One of my first real clients was Oil Changers, one of those 20-minute oil and lube places. I wrote a few radio spots for them, which I was kind of proud of, then my creative director took them from me, rewrote everything and put together a sting that combined a Metallica guitar riff with the lyrics, “Whether you drive a Porsche or a Ford Ranger, go to Oil Changer.....TEN MINUTES FAST!!!” Good times.
If you were to change professions, what would you choose to do? Advertising is a wonderful career, but it’s all-consuming and unpredictable, so worthier causes often take a backseat. If I were to do something else, I’d want it to be selfless and altruistic. Like working at a food bank. Helping raise money for a charity. Or selling weed to soccer moms.
From where do your best ideas originate? There’s this glorious moment, when you have ingested enough caffeine and sugary snacks, that your legs begin to violently shake and your mind begins to veer off into strange and interesting places that it normally otherwise wouldn’t. It makes you a really odd person to talk to—but a much better strategic thinker.
How do you overcome a creative block? Duran Duran on RockBand. Mr. LeBon, my vocal chords were made to croon your sweet, sweet lyrics.
If you could choose any product to create an ad for, what would it be? Hmm, I guess I’m already doing them now for Mac. I was a huge Mac lover before I joined Media Arts Lab, and now it’s great to be able to do work for something that I love and believe in. Plus it’s great to do work for products that don’t need to hide behind the conventions of traditional advertising; that are so lusted after that they don’t require all the familiar tropes and devices. Not a lot of brands come with that.
Do you have creative outlets other than advertising? I’m pretty busy with work and family and feel pretty fulfilled by what I do at Media Arts Lab. That’s not to say I don’t get the bug to do other creative things. I’ve got two half-written screenplays, one partially-written novel and I’m constantly jotting down ideas for more creative projects in notebooks. I just never find the time to finish them.
What’s your approach to balancing work and life? I have created a relatively-intuitive, mildly-amusing robot facsimile of myself that helps my children with homework, makes waffles and twice a year fertilizes the front lawn. My kids are none the wiser. My wife is suspicious.
What product/gadget can you not live without? Slap Chop and the coffee machine.
What’s your favorite quote? First thing coming to my head: When I was in fifth grade, a bully used to beat me up when I’d walk home from school. Towards the end of the school year he brought someone else with him, who bore a striking resemblance. After a firm pestering and a compulsory gut-punch he said, “This is my brother. He’ll be taking over for me when I graduate.” True story. I had become a bully heirloom.
Do you have any advice for people just entering the profession? Humility, kindness and charity are your friends. Ego, overconfidence and obstinacy are the dudes who hang out on the corner smoking cigarettes and causing trouble. Join them and they’ll undermine you in the end. Like a lot of industries these days, advertising is undergoing major shifts, and those that don't change with it are destined to be left behind. Also, don’t be a douchebag. Douchebags suck.