How Creativity Can Change the World
Andrea Macdonald, founder of ideaXme interviews Sir John Hegarty. For the full written transcript please visit the interview here and scroll to bottom of page.
Sir John Hegarty, co-founder of global advertising and communications company BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty) and founder of The Garage Soho, Investment Company is one of the world’s most awarded and respected creatives in history. He has written 2 best-selling books with a possible third in the pipeline. Current books, Creativity: There Are No Rules and Advertising: Turning Intelligence into Magic have not just been benchmarks for both the creative and communications industries they have inspired disruptors and innovators across a multitude of sectors.
At the heart of Hegarty’s work, his creativity, business ethos and indeed his philosophy of life stands one word. That word is “truth”. Listen to this ideaXme interview or read the transcript of the interview below to learn of how truth and creativity combined has rocketed Sir John Hegarty to the top of the creative world.
“The foundation of any long-term relationship is probably two things, love and truth. You can’t have love without truth. So, truth comes first. What you’re trying to do is constantly build the truth.”
Sir John Hegarty, ideaXme interview
Sir John Hegarty’s Career
Hegarty has been at the forefront of the global creative advertising industry for over 50 years, from the early days of Saatchi and Saatchi to Bartle Bogle Hegarty, which was founded in 1982 and sold to Publicis in 2012.
In 2014, building on this legacy, Hegarty founded The Garage Soho, an investment company with creativity at its heart.
“Sometimes marketing is not enough. You need to change the product”.
Sir John Hegarty, ideaXme interview
The Garage Soho
The Garage Soho is an early stage investor and brand builder. They invest between £100K — £500K into companies’ pre-series A with a focus on technology enabled consumer brands.
The team work closely with portfolio companies on their brand strategy, creative and media partnerships from the outset and throughout their journey to exit. Companies are chosen on the basis of “their potential to change the world”.
Bartle Bogle Hegarty
Sir John Hegarty founded Bartle Bogle Hegarty with John Bartle and Nigel Bogle. The agency soon became one of the most famous and awarded advertising agencies in the world. Today, BBH’s 7 offices worldwide include London, New York, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Mumbai.
John, was responsible for campaigns for Levi’s such as the ground-breaking commercial starring an unknown model called Nick Kamen who stripped off down to his boxer shorts in a launderette. As a bi-product sales of boxer shorts went through the roof. He created the tagline ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’ for Audi and picked Brad Pitt to star in a commercial for Levi’s. He pioneered the importance of music in commercials, earning BBH nine number 1 hits. John also oversaw the first viral phenomenon to hit the headlines, the furry yellow puppet Flat Eric for Levi’s, who kicked Eminem off the number 1 singles slot in 1999.
“You never really leave BBH”
Sir John Hegarty comments on his departure from BBH in 2012, ideaXme interview
Awards
In 2007 he was Knighted in the Queen’s birthday honours.
John has also won numerous golds awards at D&AD, Cannes and British Television. He has been bestowed with the D&AD President’s Award for outstanding achievement and was admitted to the US One Show Advertising Hall of Fame. He has also been voted as one of the most influential people in fashion thanks to his work with Levi’s.
Hegarty sits on the Board of Trustees of the Design Museum.
In this interview: Scroll down to the transcript or click the audio link above
John answers questions from:
–Simon Anholt, author, researcher, policy advisor and global intellectual and Alan Firmin, founder and CEO of Tribal Heart, who spent 20 years as a creative director at FCB, Y&R and VML and more recently as a lecturer at University of London.
John talks of:
His career, philosophy and business ethos as well as the importance of creativity as a force for good.
Potential of “truth”not just to transform creativity but the world.
His application of “the truth”, from his creative work to managing his vineyard in France.
What he would like you to see.
Where companies should start with Corporate Social Responsibility.
Why he’d like you to watch The Romantics tv series
His trust in ideas.
The one global challenge that he would like to address with his creative power.
This interview is in British English.
Interview credits: Andrea Macdonald, founder ideaXme
ideaXme is a global podcast, creator series and mentor programme.
Mission: Move the human story forward™.
Find ideaXme on all major podcast platforms. Connect on Twitter @ideaxm on Instagram @ideaxme
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