On My Radar: Mat Jerrett

Mat Jerrett is currently creative director at full-service communications agency Translation. His career trajectory has taken him all over the globe – from Sydney to the UK to Amsterdam, but now New York City is where he currently leads creative on some of the agency's key youth brand accounts, including Champs Sports.

Prior to joining the company, he served as lead creative director on Anomaly’s Converse account, helping to transform the celebrated fashion and lifestyle company into the ninth largest brand on social media, but he also has a background in film production and directing.

Below he describes what TV takes his fancy today, some of the advertising and apps on his radar and what it is that's most influenced his career in the industry.

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

Translation did a campaign for Sprint called #KDLaw. We asked Kevin Durant to send out cryptic tweets alluding to him finishing his law degree, including pics of Kevin Wayne Durant’s degree (Wayne!). It went nutso with retweets, we had everyone thinking that KD might really be doing his law degree, before a bunch of awesome spots launched with him as a lawyer. It’s when TV is still great because it’s more than just great TV.

I also liked the Under Armour I Will What I Want campaign, particularly the Gisele spot because it’s so simple. I prefer work that is reductive. It’s difficult to not overcook. It takes confidence to know when to stop and keep the message simple like that (congrats to Jaron Albertin, Hannes Ciatti and John McKelvey at D5).

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

HBO GO. From Game of Thrones to The Jinx, television has officially surpassed the movies.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

Apple TV, because it’s from the future.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? Why?

Instagram because a proud dad can post as many pics of his daughter as he likes without having to harass friends, colleagues or random people on the street with them.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

VSCO Cam. Once a designer, always a failed photographer… I mean, always a designer.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

The Wire. Mic drop…! One story told over five seasons but each season is the same story from a different POV – the corner, the docks, the schools, the media. I saw a talk from the creator David Simon. He was an ex-police journalist so his insights could never have been as accurately imagined by regular TV writers. I mean, Omar the gay gangster!

If you’ve never seen it please watch the scene where the two homicide detectives McNulty and Bunk piece together a shooting in a kitchen but only ever say “Fuck.” Great writing and directing.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Days of Heaven. If you think shooting in your spot in just two days is stressful, imagine shooting an entire feature at magic hour.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

New York. Where you can see Patti Smith and tell her that you and your ex sign off your emails “Robert and Patti.” She smiled and walked away saying “love and struggle… love and struggle…”

She lives a block away from me so I often see her in my local coffee place. It’s hard to imagine the old lady across the café has had such a rich life.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

I started when Photoshop had one layer.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

The hours.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

When I learned an idea is really just a truth. A truth means an idea can’t be argued. No matter if it goes into research or if a client takes your work to a CMO and presents it without you. If it’s true, the work will survive.