‘Why I’m back’: R/GA’s Jon Holloway on opening slammed doors and what will be different this time around
Back in 2016, Jon Holloway exited adland and said “Nobody likes advertising, not even the people who make the ads”. But now, he’s back, at the very agency he left. Here, Mumbrella’s Vivienne Kelly asks why he slammed the door on the way out, and how he managed to get it open once more.
“Creative agencies had their chance. “They fucked it all up”. Advertising has been “killed by complacency”. Australian creative is “mediocre and lame”. These are all quotes from Jon Holloway as he said “goodbye” to adland, and went off into the world of start-ups.
Holloway had been head of strategy at The Works and managing director The Conscience Organisation. Then, in 2014, he joined R/GA. Two years later, he was gone, attracting headlines for taking shots at the “floundering” organisation.
But now, he’s jimmied the door back open, and will be executive strategy director at an agency he once ran.
Here, he reveals the real story of his exit, and his return – well his side of it, anyway.
Sounds like you’re lucky they took you back
You said real, damning words about not only the industry, but your former agency. Now you’re attempting to pretend that communication never occurred.
If you respected communication you wouldn’t pretend that every word didn’t matter.
You did a thing. Be accountable for it.
Droughts, fires, global pandemic and now more opinion pieces from Jon Holloway. The end is nigh.
R/GA has 6 months left in Aus. Period.
How many incredibly talented candidates did not get the chance to apply for this role so that Jon could get a second crack at it?
Candidates who haven’t insulted colleagues or defamed the industry at every opportunity. People who don’t think the best way to get their point across is by shouting?
As a bare minimum, someone who won’t name drop all the other (white, middle-class, middle-aged) men who’ve greased the wheels for them.
This is what has baffled from Friday till this new article today.
The sheer talent that’s out there, and this narcissist was given a second chance at a gig he literally threw away.
I am so saddened.
Product, price, place, promotion.
What’s this “marketing sciences” bullshit.
This bloke gets way too much airtime
Exactly.
Who cares.
Hhmmm,
Again……why are you back?
digi planner (wannabe creative) leaves digi agency. Slams digi agency. Joins start up. Start up dies. Goes back to digi agency. everyone laughs