Lance Jensen, the chief creative officer of Hill Holliday and former creative director and cofounder of Modernista!, believes deeply in initiative. It’s what has driven his career creating some of the most memorable advertising campaigns of the last two decades for brands like Volkswagen, Bank of America, Cadillac, Liberty Mutual, Hummer, Gap, John Hancock, MTV, (RED) and Major League Baseball. Jensen says it’s also what has helped interns get jobs at the agencies he’s run. He tells the story of a young intern at one agency who would always stay later than the rest, absorbing some of the evening ideation sessions, constantly looking for a way to be useful. Jensen recalls she was the only intern in her group to be hired when her internship ended. “My best advice to young people who want to work in our business is, don’t wait to be told to do something,” he remarks.
It’s this strong point of view that has helped Jensen get where he is. “If you wait around for someone to tell you how to do your job or get ahead, you’re never going to get anywhere.” At Modernista!, which closed its doors in 2011, Jensen felt it was important to be restless. He reveres the anti-authoritative nature of the punk movement, which inspired a drastic cultural shift in the 1980s. Jensen notes the DIY-aesthetic of punk as an ageless mantra, which he has tried to bring to the work he does. “I think the real punks today are online; they’re designing digital experiences because that’s where the culture is right now. And they like disrupting things,” he says.
For good creative work Jensen believes it’s important to take risks. In many cases, that may be trying something you’ve never done before. For Jensen, the meaning of a failure is complex. “Failing is how you learn, how you get better. Failing means you took a risk, you tried something. I’ve always believed there should be agency awards for ‘failing the best.’ People who fail have conquered their fear, and that’s step one in a creative career.”
Jensen also believes in challenging his colleagues through honesty, particularly when assessing their work. “You need a bit of arrogance when you’re young,” Jensen explains. “It’s such a delicate balance of being able to figure out where that line is, and it moves for every assignment, but I think we challenge our people (on an assignment) and we just say, ‘I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s good, and this is kind of boring.’” That may sound harsh, but Jensen believes it saves time, and serves the creative. “If I’m bored, I make a face, and some people can take that and say, ‘oh alright, I’ll go back and try again,’” he says.
On of the constant challenges a top agency faces is convincing a client why an idea is the right one. But this usually isn’t easy. It’s a constant negotiation and discussion, and sometimes the idea you liked doesn’t win. Jensen admits that sometimes you find yourself “actually making something that you knew was never worth making in the first place, but you finally just got beat down. You get worn out,” he says. But the rewards are there too. Client relationships are like any relationship. “You need honesty, open dialogue, patience, respect and sometimes you disagree, which is okay,” he says.
Apathy and cynicism are the enemies of a creative career, Jensen feels. You’ve got to truly experience and embrace whatever product you’re promoting. “Some products are easier because you can hold them in your hand, like a phone, or you can get in a car and you can feel it. But some things like banks — what is that?” he questions. This requires the agency to do what it does best: create. “That’s what we’re here for. Everybody wants to be a part of that,” he says. “It’s a lifestyle, and it’s a commitment, and it’s a philosophy. It makes people crazy.” But Jensen wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s an admitted punk at heart.
Jensen left Modernista! in December 2010 and has since joined Hill Holliday as chief creative officer, where he is busy creating campaigns for clients like Bank of America, Cadillac, Dunkin’ Donuts, Major League Baseball and Liberty Mutual.