Jake grew up in Red Cliffs, Victoria – population 2600. It was here, when voted “Funniest Kid in High School”, he believes his advertising career was born. After placing second in Australia’s prestigious AWARD School, he found himself working at some of Australia’s top advertising agencies.
Jake’s innovative approach to creativity has seen him become one of Australia’s most awarded advertising creatives, with in excess of 500 industry awards he’s twice been ranked in the Top 20 creatives in the world, was ranked 6th best ECD globally in 2024 by The Drum and won 31 Cannes Lions – 7 Gold. In 2017 he was promoted to Executive Creative Director of iconic Australian advertising agency George Patterson Y&R (now VML) and in 2021 was also given the responsibility of the Sydney office, as Group ECD. Under his leadership, VML was ranked #1 most creative agency in Australia for 2 years in a row by Campaign Brief’s The Work, was ranked 6th Regional Agency of the Decade by Cannes Lions and was the 2023 Global Agency of the Year at London International Awards. He has now taken the role as Chief Creative Officer of VML Czechia, a 400 strong agency in the heart of Europe.
Other career highlights have included creating a global dog adoption movement, having a TVC on display in an art gallery, launching a feature film, strapping Fit Bits to chickens and having work featured in the book “100 Ideas that Changed Advertising”. He is a regular guest lecturer at AWARD School, has spoken at the Australian Film Television and Radio School and recently delivered 2 panel talks at SXSW Sydney.
Outside of advertising he spends way too much time trying to beat his current Galaga score and makes the best homemade salami in Prague – quite possibly the world.
I was once asked by the CEO if I would write an opinion piece for a trade publication on what is my “creative philosophy”. I said “I don’t know, just rock up and do good work”. While that’s still one of my guiding principles, there are many things I’ve developed over the years to make an agency successful.
My creative-style is looking at things in a new way. A new way of looking at a brand, the category, media or customer experience. Creativity that comes from this is exciting, drives culture, get’s talked about and always leaves the competition in the dust. This approach paves the way for the brands we work with and the industry itself. I implore the creative department to “think new”.
My leadership style is inclusive creativity. What I’ve learnt most over the years, is that it doesn’t matter how many good ideas you have, if they don’t get made, they don’t count. I get the entire agency to care about making world class work. Not everyone is expected to be creative but I expect everyone to be champions of creativity. I make each department equal in the quest for good work and remind every single person I work with “creativity is our product, it’s up to every department to make sure it happens”.
My creative philosophy(ies)
2024-Present
Chief Creative Officer, VML Czechia
Working in Europe has always been a dream and late in 2024 I made it a reality. My task is clear. Unite the office and lift the creative product. The adventure has just begun.
2021-2024
Group Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R Melbourne & Sydney
Always on the hunt for a new challenge, I was happy to take the reins of our Sydney office, an agency that had been rocked by a big merger and had traditionally struggled to get good work done. Along with a managing parter with the same remit, we ran the Melbourne and Sydney office as one agency. In the first 24 months of the role the creative output has improved to the point that we are Campaign Brief’s Asia Pacific Agency of the Year.
2017-2021
Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R Melbourne
Late 2017/early 2018 was the hardest 12 months of my career. I was made ECD of the agency after our CCO left and various clients moved on. We also had 3 different CEOs, had managing directors depart and were down to about 30 people (from an agency that was around 80 when I joined). Although I had the opportunity to leave, I didn’t want to be the creative at the wheel when an iconic agency rolled over. It was a challenge, but I knew the agency still had the talent to bounce back. I remained resilient, rallied the remaining staff and we turned the tide.
By early 2019 we were back up to 80 staff, were a Cannes Lions Top 5 Australian Agency and were Campaign Briefs 3rd place Agency of the Year. We won Gold Lions in 2018 and again in 2021 and were awarded at D&AD in 2019,20,21.
The greatest achievement of my career happened in early 2019 when we won back the Defence Force Recruiting account – one of the biggest and most prestigious in the country. We were up against 7 of the biggest and best agencies in the country and we took them out.
My work history
2015-2017
Creative Director, George Patterson Y&R
While I knew I could create good work myself, I looked at this period as a challenge to help other creatives succeed. As the only CD at the agency (our ECD at the time was in charge of the whole region), I pretty-quickly realised that the success of the agency was on my shoulders. Each year I was able to help creatives win big at all the international shows, with quite a few winning awards for the first time in their careers. In 2016 we were ranked 4th Best Australian Agency in Campaign Brief’s The Work and had won 7 Lions at Cannes in 2015/16.
2011-2015
Art Director, George Patterson Y&R
When I first joined this agency I was just excited that I’d landed my dream gig at an agency where I knew I could get good work done. George Patterson Y&R was an agency with a deep history of creating famous work. Throughout this period I became their most award creative. I was driven by the idea of being consistent rather than having a singular, flashy piece of work before moving to my next agency. I subsequently had more than 10 campaigns pick up awards over this period. In 2012 I was ranked 9th Art Director Globally at Cannes and in 2013 16th by the Gunn Report. I had won 10 Lions (4 Gold) and won at D&AD 3 years in a row. My work was also featured in the book ‘100 Ideas that Changed Advertising’. To the managing directors delight I also hit a hot streak with pitch wins.
That’s me giving a lecture on outdoor advertising for AWARD School. Outdoors, dressed in a chicken suit of course.
2009-2011
Art Director, JWT & DDB
I cut my teeth at a couple of great agencies in Melbourne. I managed to win a few awards for Direct Marketing campaigns for ANZ and ACMI, including a Gold at Caples.
2007-2009
Art Director, Freelance
I found my true calling when I found myself freelancing in the same office as a senior creative team. The art director went on holidays and the copywriter naturally started bouncing ideas off me. I thought it was insane that we could just sit around coming up with jokes and that was someones actual job. I promptly attended the prestigious Australian Writers and Art Directors School and came 2nd place. I was also Runner-Up Junior of the Year at MADC and Winner of Best New Talent – Creative Raw.
2003-2007, Graphic Designer/Art Director
I value my early years as a designer. I figured out my craft, figured out how the industry works, figured out clients and figured out I didn’t want to be a designer.
