As a partner and Executive Creative Director of Wieden+Kennedy, John C. Jay is breaking new ground in the dynamic Japanese advertising market. But this is nothing new for Jay, an eclectic and innovative figure who made a major impact in the world of design and fashion in the 1980s as creative director at Bloomingdale's department stores before bringing his distinctive flair and style to the ad agency world.
Jay left Bloomingdale's to join W+K in 1993. He spent five years at the agency's Portland headquarters, and then spearheaded the opening of the Tokyo office in 1998. Under Jay and Sumiko Sato, W+K Tokyo has emerged as a kind of experimental lab, where advertising is mixed and blended with equal parts art, music, fashion, and hip street culture. On behalf of its clients (Nike and Japanese brands including Sapporo beer, Sharp Aquos electronics, the educational service Kumon, and others), Jay's team of 60 plus employees often collaborates with local musicians, filmmakers, and visual artists. The result is not merely ads but much more including music videos, art shows, and various live events. The agency has even launched its own independent music label, W+K TokyoLab.
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