As I sit in my shared room at the Hong Kong Baptist University, my laptop screen illuminates the darkened room. Admittedly, Jack Morton was not an agency I previously knew, but by the end of the next 15 minutes I was arguably an expert.
I suddenly peer across the room to the motionless figure lying in the adjacent bed. “Jordan, are you still awake?” I whisper. An exasperated groan replies in kind, but this just couldn’t wait.
His reprieve was brief. “Dude… Jack Morton have the NFL as a client,” I say.
The silence is deafening, so I repeat myself once again. No answer.
At this point it’s obvious that this news meant very little to my roommate, but as an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, it meant everything to me.
The deeper I began to dig, the wider my eyes grew. Campaigns for Nike and Google too?! I was speechless. These guys were anywhere and everywhere. From opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Jack Morton were responsible for orchestrating some of the biggest events in the 21st Century. I was in raptures. This was my kind of agency.
Fast-forward a few days and some 2,589 kilometres, we found ourselves in Singapore making our way to the agency. With a list of questions in toe and a belly full of Starbucks coffee, I took my seat at the conference table and eagerly awaited the presentation.
Winnie was the Jack Morton representative and it was obvious by the end that the buzzword was ‘experiences’. This was best illustrated with a history lesson about the agency.
Coming from humble beginnings, Irvin Leonidas “Jack” Morton was a man before his time, responsible for booking talent for fraternity dances. Whilst competitors would book talent with the best ‘sound’, he chose talent based on the reactions from the audience and what they could experience.
Simply put, he just cared about his consumers. These fundamental ideologies still resonate within the agency today with inspirational quotes adorning the walls. The way I perceive it, when it comes to Jack Morton, it’s not about selling ice to eskimos. It’s about selling ice-cream in fifteen of your favourite flavours. It’s about going above and beyond to not just sell a product, but an experience.
Every word captivated me. Jack Morton felt like a familiar friend, a place I felt like I could not only apply my creative talents, but if given the opportunity, I could add something valuable and unique. With my business card tightly grasped in my hand, I exchanged pleasantries with Winnie and expressed a deep interest in the agency.
Upon glancing at my card, she exclaimed that they were actually looking for a new Graphic Designer. Calm and collected on the outside, heart racing on the inside. Was this the opportunity I’ve been looking for?
Touchdown.
