Work harder and care harder than anyone else

Jason Harrison is co-founder & group MD of advertising agency M&C Saatchi Abel SA

Tell me about your work each day.

The world is getting more complicated, convoluted and fragmented, so our job is to create beautifully simple solutions for this increasingly complex world.

We call this “brutal simplicity of thought”, and it is the second-most powerful vaccine the world needs right now. In the pursuit of that objective, we get the privilege to work with diverse brands, categories and people, which is truly inspiring and liberating.

It’s the thing I love most about my job. No two days are ever the same.

What is your morning ritual when getting ready for the day?

The year 2021 has left its mark mentally and emotionally, and the December break has not helped physically in terms of the ever-increasing waistline.

But 2022 is about bringing some balance and control back into the routine: wake up early; quiet prayer time; swim or run; strong coffee; kids to school; walk into the office; smash it.

How did you get into the industry?

In my second year doing a BCom in Port Elizabeth, my friend and I were bored during a lesson and did what was called a “copy test” for one of the top advertising schools, where you needed to submit some written work and some ads to see if you had talent.

We chose Durex as our “case study” and wrote what I thought were some brilliant lines.

Notably one for Father’s Day which read, “Happy Father’s Day”. We thought it was hilarious. They didn’t. We got rejection letters.

But I was hooked by the power of ideas, so in my final year I applied to another top advertising school, The Red & Yellow School, and got accepted. That course changed my life.

What do you think makes you good at the work you do?

When we as founders wrote the values of our company, I guess it was inevitable that we would funnel our own aligned values into that original company manifesto of what makes you good at what you do.

“Be brave: have an intolerance for the ordinary.”“Be bright: bring an inquisitive, interesting or inspiring point of view.” “Be optimistic: solve in the positive and have a can-do attitude.” “Be open: be a catalyst for bringing people together.” “Be considered: take the time to make it the best it can be.”

Our belief is that if you can live these values, every single day, you will have a successful and fulfilling career.

How has the pandemic affected your business and the way you work?

Most staff surveys and articles I have seen locally and globally basically say two things: we love the freedom of working from home; we are having a mental breakdown from all the stress.

And herein lies the tension to be resolved: without a doubt, freedom and flexibility in the creative industries are a huge benefit, but they need to come with clear principles and guard rails, otherwise the lack of boundaries, never switching off, and lack of physical mentorship and mental burden will exhaust all upside benefits in the long term.

Our shift this year will be bringing staff (who are vaccinated) back into campus to connect and create together again and encourage output-based flexibility from this campus base.

What is your go-to career advice?

Work harder and care harder than anyone else.