CB Hot Suit Takes: Jon Coles, Founder, Coles & Co
CB Hot Suit Takes is our new Q&A series for extremely busy CEOs and senior leaders across the industry ~ covering careers, creativity, challenges and the song that sums it all up. Next in the hot seat is Jon Coles, Founder and ECD of indie creative agency Coles & Co.
1. What made you get into advertising?
A love of music & student radio. I worked at RDU 98.5FM in Christchurch, where I was a DJ then copywriter. I really enjoyed writing and producing radio ads, so soon after, I moved to Auckland to study Creative Advertising at Media Design School.
2. Which piece of work are you most proud of, and why?
I’m really proud of the Let You Out campaign we created last year for AIPC, the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. Our client trusted us to do something quite different for the category, without trivialising the seriousness of mental health. And it worked. The NSW campaign saw website traffic grow by 116% year-on-year, which meant that thousands of people were genuinely interested in becoming a counsellor – or receiving counselling. For me, that was particularly satisfying to get commercial results that will ultimately help the Australian community too.
3. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role right now?
Time. So many exciting things are happening in culture, tech and business at the moment. I would love an extra two hours a day to experiment with more of them!
4. What’s the most recent thing you’ve learned – professionally or personally?
Balance. I wear a number of different hats: business owner; creative leader; husband; father; friend. Knowing when to switch off properly and when to switch hats has been a really valuable learning for me.
5. What song best sums up your career so far?
It’s A Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) – AC/DC
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