17497: Different Outhouse, Same Shit—Brought To You By Adland.

Adweek reported the former McCann Worldwide CCO, who left Omnicom Advertising after the acquisition of IPG, returned to Publicis Groupe, where he formerly served as Saatchi & Saatchi US and Latin America CCO, and will now serve as Leo Constellation Americas and Iberia CCO.

 

The winding opening sentence above underscores how White holding companies—and a single White operating company—have fueled the commoditization of Adland, whereby people, places, and practices are repetitive, redundant, and replaceable.

 

Why, even C-suite leaders shift from White advertising agency to White advertising agency, confirming all firms are essentially identical.

 

Of course, the drones must weather the storms of change, often cast away and lost in a sea of sameness.

 

The Adweek report closes with the most outrageous statement: “Part of his remit also includes recruiting and developing the agency’s talent pipeline.”

 

Recruiting and developing the agency’s talent pipeline?! Um, the newish CCO will draw from his limited pool of connections at Publicis Groupe, Omnicom Advertising, and the erased IPG to maintain the cronyism, exclusivity, and systemic racism in Adland.

 

Publicis Groupe Taps Javier Campopiano Following Omnicom Exit

 

He’ll join Leo Constellation as CCO for the Americas and Iberia

 

By Hannah Bowler

 

Two weeks after announcing his departure from Omnicom Advertising, Javier Campopiano is joining Publicis Groupe as global chief creative officer (CCO) for Leo Constellation Americas and Iberia.

 

The former McCann Worldgroup and McCann Worldwide CCO left Omnicom just six months after taking on his latest role following its acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) in December 2025.

 

His appointment at Publicis follows the group’s $2.2bn purchase of LiveRamp. In a statement, Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun, said Campopiano’s appointment showed the holdco’s commitment to creativity alongside such investments.

 

“Javier’s return is the latest demonstration of our commitment to investing in what remains a key differentiator for our clients: the very best talent, to drive creativity in all of its forms,” he said.

 

A return to Publicis

 

The move marks Campopiano’s return to Publicis Groupe where he previously served as CCO for Saatchi & Saatchi U.S. and Latin America. Campopiano initially left Publicis Group in 2022 to join Grey, also in a CCO role.

 

In a statement, Campopiano said his return had been on the cards for a while. “For years, Marco and I had this running joke where he would text me ‘come home’ completely out of the blue, and I would immediately reply ‘pronto.’ Well, the time has finally come,” he said.

 

At Leo Constellation he will report to global co-CEO’s Agathe Bousquet and Marco Venturelli. The pair said Campopiano was one of most respected creative leaders in adland. And added: “His ability to combine craft, humanity and impact makes him the perfect person to lead our creative community across the Americas and Iberia.”

 

Campopiano is a decorated exec having earned himself Cannes Lions, Clios, The ANDY Awards and D&AD’s.

 

At Leo Constellation he’ll work closely with the leadership team overseeing creative strategy and output across the group for both global and regional brands. Part of his remit also includes recruiting and developing the agency’s talent pipeline.

17274: On Papa Johns + Leo Name Game.

Advertising Age reported Papa Johns named Leo Chicago as its new White advertising agency.

 

So, a pizza chain still bearing the name of a founder no longer associated with the enterprise will be serviced by a White advertising agency that underwent a 2025 name update further separating the firm from its founder.

 

It’s a who’s who of who the fuck are you?

 

It also seems like a perfect spokesman opportunity for Pope Leo.

 

Papa Johns hires Leo Chicago as new creative agency

 

By Erika Wheless and Ewan Larkin

 

Papa Johns has hired Leo Chicago as its new creative agency as one of the nation’s largest pizza chains looks to bolster its marketing and overcome a sales slump.

 

The brand confirmed in early October it had initiated a creative agency review and had parted ways with The Martin Agency, which had held the account since late 2023. The former IPG shop is now part of Omnicom.

 

Joanne Davis Consulting supported the pitch. Dentsu’s Carat will continue to handle Papa Johns’ media buying.

 

The win adds another major food brand to Publicis Groupe-owned Leo’s roster. Leo New York won Subway in April and Coffee mate in September.

 

The change comes under Chief Marketing Officer Jenna Bromberg, who joined the chain in November 2024.

 

“Papa Johns is a challenger brand founded on quality, craft and pride in our product. A brand partner who can help us channel that spirit is essential,” Bromberg said in a statement. “The team at Leo Chicago brings a deep understanding of what makes Papa Johns distinct. Their insights-driven creative, cultural fluency and deep QSR expertise will help us power a modern marketing engine.”

 

The agency change comes as Papa Johns looks to become a bigger national player; it finished 2024 as the fourth-largest U.S. pizza chain by sales. But it has been stuck in a sales slump of late, with North American comparable sales down 3% in the third quarter ended Sept. 28. Comparable sales were up just 1% in the second quarter.

 

Domino’s has outperformed most of the pizza competition this year. Its U.S. same-store sales were up 5.2% in the third quarter.

 

Pizza Hut reported that its U.S. same-store sales were down 6% during the same period. Yum Brands is exploring “strategic options” for Pizza Hut, including a potential sale of the brand.

16845: Buckle Up, Detroit.

 

Advertising Age reported on more casualties from General Motors’ decision to partner with White advertising agencies outside of Detroit. Publicis Groupe announced plans to shutter the Leo Burnett Detroit office—which lost Cadillac, Buick, and GMC—and lay off 79 staffers.

 

Add Leo Burnett Detroit to a pileup including Commonwealth, McCann Relationship Marketing, and the White advertising agencies bound to crash and burn in the impending Stellantis review.

 

Despite the setbacks and reductions in force, Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun thinks the White holding company will continue to perform far better than rivals. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics claims Adland regularly adds hundreds of jobs.

 

Meanwhile, news sources report General Motors cut about 1000 employees last week—mostly white-collar workers—adding to the 5000 white-collar workers who took buyout offers from the automaker last April. It’s unlikely the 6000 included any Chief Marketing Officers. But it wouldn’t be surprising to learn Chief Diversity Officers were among the terminated.

 

Analysts tie GM’s problems to failure achieving goals with electric vehicles sales. Hey, maybe President-elect Donald Trump can appoint Elon Musk to assist.

16321: Entertaining Entertainment Entry.

 

Advertising Age reported Ogilvy hired Juan Woodbury as North America Creative and Entertainment Lead for the Coke account.

 

Woodbury’s previous roles include: Dentsu Creative Global Head of Branded Content and Entertainment, where he reportedly helped launch its entertainment offering; FCB Chicago EVP Director of Branded Content and Entertainment, where he reportedly helped launch its branded content and entertainment practice, and; Leo Burnett EVP Creative Director and Executive Producer, where he probably helped launch entertaining initiatives.

 

Given that Woodbury’s stints at Dentsu and FCB lasted well under two years at each place—and neither has been established as an entertainment powerhouse (or even entertainment outhouse)—it’ll be interesting to see how long the Ogilvy position runs. No knock against Woodbury—whose talent appears to be extraordinary—but it feels like advertising agencies are seeking to create the illusion of entertainment prowess without a clear vision or mission. Or credibility.

 

The scenario perhaps semi-mirrors advertisers naming celebrity artists as brand ambassadors, as if a lack of inherent entertainment value can be offset by hiring an entertainer.

 

Hell, it’s barely entertaining to watch the escapades.

 

Ogilvy Hires Dentsu Exec For Coke Business, Leading North America Creative And Entertainment

 

Juan Woodbury previously led Dentsu Creative’s global entertainment offering

 

By Brian Bonilla

 

Ogilvy has hired Juan Woodbury as North America creative and entertainment lead for its Coca-Cola Co. business. As part of the role, he will collaborate with the larger Open X team that is dedicated to Coke within parent WPP.

 

Woodbury joins from Dentsu Creative, where he helped launch its entertainment offering as global head of branded content and entertainment. Prior to that, Woodbury was executive VP, director of branded content and entertainment at Interpublic Group of Cos.’ FCB Chicago, where he helped launch its branded content and entertainment practice.

 

He will report to Guillermo Vega, who moved to global creative lead for Ogilvy’s Coke business in September 2022. Woodbury is expected to start his new role at the end of July.

 

Beyond advertising, Woodbury won a Grammy Award this year for his work with J. Ivy on “The Poet Who Sat By the Door,” which earned the first-ever Best Spoken Poetry Album.

 

Woodbury also produced the feature film “Birds of a Feather,” starring Snoop Dogg and singer Iza Lach, and regularly publishes his photography and video work. He also is a DJ and recently directed a music video for Mos Def.

 

These experiences helped Woodbury stand out as a candidate, according to Vega, who said he was specifically looking for someone that had more than just a creative background.

 

“Woodbury can not only present the idea but also make it happen,” Vega said. “That was a clear differentiator when you think about him and think about his output and his real connection to culture is what made it a no-brainer for us.”

 

In his new role, Woodbury will focus on areas such as film, music and music videos, said Vega. He will also help lead the 40-plus Ogilvy employees dedicated to the Coke business.

 

Coke for years has created original content and it made a significant push in the music world last year when it launched the “Coke Studio.” The initiative is meant to create original music such as its most recent release, “Be Who You Are (Real Magic),” which was written and performed by Jon Batiste alongside artists NewJeans, J.I.D., Camilo, and Cat Burns. Ogilvy, as part of the Open X team, also helped launch Sprite’s first global music campaign.

 

“The way people move through the landscape is not linear anymore,” Vega said regarding the recent push for brands and agencies to be more involved in entertainment. “They move through platforms. They go from Spotify to TikTok, from TikTok to other platforms. They go to HBO Max. They move all around these different places, or they take elements from culture and they become part of social media … so it has to be part of the delivery.”

 

Woodbury said, “Work that resonates and elevates culture is what I’ve built my career on. It’s my driving ambition. The ability to continue to do the same for The Coca-Cola Company, the globally iconic leader in culture marketing, is a treasured opportunity.”

16093: Time To Make More Dough—Nuts!

 

Advertising Age reported Anomaly cut 8% of its U.S. workforce, citing revenue loss after Dunkin’ Donuts reassigned their business to Publicis Groupe’s Leo Burnett. So for some ex-staffers, it’s time to make the donuts—provided they can land a job at any local Dunkin’ Donuts.

 

According to Ad Age, the White advertising agency’s founder also pointed to lessened demand for traditional advertising as reasons for the layoffs. Wait a minute—Anomaly has always insisted it’s not an advertising agency. But it now fires people like a typical ad shop.

16022: Losing One’s Lunch—And Breakfast—Over Leo Burnett’s “Win” Of Kashi Business.

 

AgencySpy posted that Kashi handed its business to Leo Burnett, awarding the White advertising agency with AOR status. The press release didn’t indicate a competitive pitch for the account, meaning it appears to be another example of Corporate Cultural Collusion, as Leo Burnett has a 73-year relationship with Kellogg’s, the parent company of Kashi. Hell, the deal was likely done over a breakfast meeting. Gr-r-reat!

 

Kashi Picks Leo Burnett Chicago as Creative AOR

 

By Kyle O’Brien

 

Leo Burnett Chicago has been named lead creative agency for Kellogg-owned natural cereal brand Kashi. The Publicis Groupe agency will develop a creative platform and experience plan to strengthen Kashi’s connection to natural and organic eating.

 

“We’re thrilled to partner with Leo Burnett to unlock the potential within Kashi,” said Sarah Reinecke, senior director of marketing at Kashi in a statement. “Leo Burnett brings a great understanding of our evolving target and is creating a plan that breaks through across channels to give Kashi the cultural relevance it needs to grow in the highly competitive Natural and Organics marketplace.”

 

Kashi and Leo Burnett will reinforce the brand’s position as the number one cereal brand and number three waffle brand in the natural and organic category. Leo Burnett will focus on retaining and recruiting health-conscious consumers, which includes crafting a new visual identity to build brand relevance and consistency across mediums, from in-store to online and inclusive marketing.

 

“Over the years, Kellogg’s and Leo Burnett have built so many iconic brands together. It’s a great story,” said Britt Nolan, Leo Burnett Chicago’s president and chief creative officer. “We couldn’t be more excited about the next chapter, where we show the world that Kashi isn’t just for the stereotypical granola crowd.”

 

New work will launch in early 2023.

 

The long-standing partnership between the agency and Kellogg’s dates back to 1949 when Leo Burnett was appointed as Kellogg’s creative partner. For 73 years, the agency has been tasked with managing, modernizing and reinvigorating majority of Kellogg’s ready-to-eat brands including Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Special K, Rice Krispies, Eggo, Cheez-It and Club Crackers, among others. The agency was also appointed as Kellogg’s global advertising agency in 2009.

 

Recently, Tony the Tiger made his Twitch debut.

 

Kashi launched a brand redesign and visual identity in 2016 with work from Jones Knowles Ritchie.

16013: Heineken Hearts Hip Hop.

BBH Singapore and Leo Burnett Vietnam are among the agencies responsible for this concept-free cartoon campaign for Heineken. There’s an old advertising line attributed to David Ogilvy—which is typically extended—that reads: “When you have nothing to say, sing it. When you have less than nothing to say, let a kid sing it.”

 

Today the line should read: “When you have nothing to say, sing it. When you have less than nothing to say, let a hip-hop artist rap it.”

 

15423: This Is Your Brain On Ovaltine…?

 

This Ovaltine campaign from Leo Burnett in Thailand… sucks.

 

14123: Whites At Work.

2018 Chicago Addy Awards handed a trophy to Havas for its Black History Month stunt titled, “#BLACKATWORK.” A few weeks later, the 18th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair and Roundtables took place—less than a block away from the White advertising agency—and Havas was nowhere to be seen. Regarding diversity, Havas displayed its trophy commitment with #BLACKATWORK, and its true commitment with Blacks seeking work.

(On a side note, Leo Burnett didn’t participate at the 2018 Chicago Addy Awards per the Publicis Groupe ban on award shows. However, the White advertising agency was present at the 18th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair and Roundtables. But it’s unlikely Leo Burnett shared the NO.2.66 notion with minority job seekers.)

13939: Publicis Pile Of One.

Adweek reported Publicis Groupe will streamline operations by moving major U.S. agencies into shared offices. The holding company is positioning the action as symbolic of the organization’s “Power of One” theme, but it feels more like the power of procurement. What’s the point of investing in Marcel if everyone’s going to be in the same location? Plus, it’s another example of industry commoditization, where individual White advertising agencies are essentially generic—they all look alike. Then again, watch for Publicis to also fold their minority shops into the common buildings and call it a diversity initiative.

Publicis Groupe Is Moving All Agencies Into Shared Offices in Its Major U.S. Cities

‘Power of One’ approach continues apace

By Patrick Coffee

As part of its ongoing attempt to streamline operations around the world, Publicis Groupe announced this week that each of its agencies will combine offices in six major U.S. cities: New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta and San Francisco.

This means that, moving forward, every Publicis-owned company in those locations will be housed a single building.

“In the spirit of the Power of One, we strive to better serve our clients through deeper collaboration, cross-agency sharing and insight,” said a Publicis Groupe spokesperson. “As we often do, we are continually considering opportunities to consolidate our operations in major cities where it makes sense for both our clients and people.”

According to parties familiar with the matter, employees of all Publicis agencies, including Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, Publicis Worldwide, Spark Foundry, Starcom Worldwide, SapientRazorfish, DigitasLBi and MSLGroup learned about the change on Tuesday.

The news follows an announcement in September that Saatchi & Saatchi would move out of its lower Manhattan headquarters after more than 30 years and relocate to the Publicis Groupe hub at 1675 Broadway in Midtown.

In Chicago, all Publicis entities will be located at 35 West Wacker Drive, long known as “The Leo Burnett Building.” The Boston office at 40 Water St. in Congress Square is currently the shared headquarters of DigitasLBi and SapientRazorfish, while Atlanta’s 384 Northyards Blvd. houses Moxie Interactive and the Detroit offices of Leo Burnett and MSLGroup are located at 3310 West Big Beaver Rd. in Troy, Mich. The San Francisco location does not appear to have been determined at this time.

Two people with knowledge of the moves said they were not related to any further reorganization or staffing reduction across the Publicis Groupe in North America. It is not clear whether they will have any operational affect on the individual agencies involved.

Over the past two years, the holding group has moved through several stages of restructuring, creating four global “solutions hubs” and naming a new generation of leaders including, most prominently, CEO Arthur Sadoun.

Publicis also made headlines this summer by announcing its plans to sit out the Cannes Lions and all other awards festivals in 2018. Sadoun later confirmed that his company would be back the following year after Cannes parent company Ascential agreed to certain cost-cutting measures.

13790: The One Club’s One Black…?

The 2017 inductees of The One Club Creative Hall of Fame includes Tom Burrell. The One Club added a blurb that reads:

The iconic advertising pioneer whose illustrious career transformed both the way people of color were portrayed in communications, as well as their roles within the industry itself. It’s a never-ending mission, but one with a defined starting line that he helped create.

With all due respect to Burrell, the statement isn’t accurate. While the iconic advertising pioneer certainly helped transform how Blacks were depicted in advertising, he was preceded by others in the field. The statement about transforming “their roles within the industry itself” is also fuzzy. Burrell’s agency served—and continues to serve—as a launching pad/stepping stone for many Blacks in advertising, but given the diminishing numbers, it’s tough to define any transformative phenomenon.

On the flipside, to recognize the plight of Blacks in advertising as “a never-ending mission” is factually correct. Sobering too, despite Leo Burnett’s prediction that the Promised Land is a mere 66 years away.

To be clear, Burrell’s induction to The One Club Creative Hall of Fame is a well-deserved honor. That he appears to be the only minority in the rare company is a tad disturbing.

13756: Prehistoric Thought Leadership.

Campaign published pathetic, prehistoric pap from FCB Global Chief Creative Officer Susan Credle, who whined, “If advertising is going into the content business, who will take care of the brands?” Um, no one associated with FCB sounds like a good answer. Why do old-school advertising executives pontificate on the sacred power of brands while jumping from one generic White advertising agency to the next? Hell, FCB just recently rebranded itself—and you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the FCB Credle from the Leo Burnett or BBDO versions. Can’t help but think Credle is a dinosaur, desperately struggling to survive in the Land of Digital. It’s not the first time the woman has displayed cluelessness about technology beyond traditional advertising—which she prefers to typeset with a capital A. Like many dinosaurs inhabiting the advertising industry, sadly, Credle is as clueless about digital as she is about diversity, although she’s a Jenny-come-lately on the White women’s bandwagon. Wringing one’s hands over a future that’s already been in place for at least a decade is asinine with a capital A. The question should read, “If advertising is going into the content business, who will take care of the brontosauruses like Credle?”

If advertising is going into the content business, who will take care of the brands?

By Susan Credle

Advertising with a capital A is about creating opportunities that lead to a healthier economy. Sometimes, it’s an ad. Sometimes, it’s a new product.

Last year in Cannes, I gave a talk titled, “Confession: I Love Advertising.” The speaker following me started his speech with the title, “How to Stop Advertising and Save Our Industry.”

Over the past decade, the advertising industry has somehow managed to demonize the very word that defines what we make.

But is the industry really changing, or are we just changing the words? Branded content. Isn’t that what advertising is—a piece of content that features a brand?

Recently, I read an article that declared, it’s time to take the brand out of branded content. So if we are all going into the content business, who is going to take care of the brands?

Two years ago when discussing branded content on a jury, one person said, “I’ve got it! If we like the work, it’s branded content. If it sucks, it’s advertising.” This person was not in the business of advertising. He was a novelist.

And a month ago, I was in New Orleans at the Collision Conference. A colleague of mine, Winston Binch, said, and I paraphrase, “Susan, it’s fascinating. When I tell people I’m in advertising, they aren’t interested. They don’t think they are ready for an advertising agency, too expensive. But, if I tell them I’m in branding and marketing, they ask for my card.”

I’ve always been proud to be in Advertising with a capital A. When I was growing up, I loved ads. And in turn, I loved brands. In my first job at BBDO, I learned we could make things more famous, more beloved than the content we paid to sit alongside.

We were the masters of short-form communication. And, yet, in a world that is asking for things to be shorter—six seconds, 140 characters, an emoji—we seem to be going in the opposite direction. Our films are getting longer. Instead of a crafted one-second image that we used to call print, we want to create blogs and interactive posts. Anything that doesn’t look like an ad.

Long before we coined the phrase “branded content,” Howard Luck Gossage said, “People read what interests them. Sometimes it’s an ad.”

In the general sense of the word, I never thought advertising meant traditional ads. Yes, it includes those powerful media. But for me, advertising was anything that was done in service of a product or business. And the result of great advertising was an emotionally strong brand and a financially strong business.

So perhaps it’s better to separate the business of advertising and ads. Ads are a part of what we do in advertising. But Advertising with a capital A is about solving problems and creating opportunities that lead to a healthier economy.

Sometimes, it’s an ad. Sometimes, it’s a new product. Sometimes, it’s intellectual property. Sometimes, it’s a partnership. Sometimes, it’s an event. Some time in the future, it will be something else.

But every time, when it’s on strategy and in service to a client’s business, it’s Advertising.

If you believe that, too, let’s focus on our real problem, which is not that we work in advertising. It’s that we’ve allowed the word to be co-opted and connected to the intrusive, the disrespectful and the disinteresting.

Let’s take back advertising and define it for what it really is—one of the best economic-drivers, problem-solvers, dream-makers in the world.

Susan Credle is the global chief creative officer at FCB Global.

13723: Leo Burnett Burning…?

AgencySpy posted about creatives at Leo Burnett protesting the Publicis Groupe ban on award shows and trade shows in 2018. When the White advertising agency noticed industry equality would not happen for at least 66 years, they launched a tumblr demonstration. When threatened with the loss of trophies for a mere year, they deface their own headquarters and mount a global revolt. Perfect.

13698: Worldwide Exclusivity At Arc.

Adweek reported, “Leo Burnett Group’s Arc Worldwide Expands After Winning MillerCoors”—plus, the firm hired or promoted seven executives. The accompanying photo (depicted above) shows the leadership at Arc Worldwide is not exactly reflecting worldwide diversity.

13685: Burnett’s Billboard Body Bigotry.

Advertising Age reported on a stunt by French anti-racism organization Le Conseil Representatif des Associations Noires (Le CRAN), whereby a Black man “tattoed” with racial epithets walked through the streets of Paris to bring attention to racism. That Leo Burnett—a global White advertising agency—hatched the concept brings grand hypocrisy to the act. Then again, Leo Burnett employees probably offered lots of legitimate insight, at least from the racist side of the equation. The concept might have been more powerful if a White person had been adorned with all the slurs typically used by bigots, bringing consciousness to unconscious bias.

This ‘Human Billboard’ Tattooed With Insults Highlighted Racism in France

Man Walked the Streets of Paris Ahead of the French Election

By Alexandra Jardine

French anti-racism organization Le Conseil Representatif des Associations Noires (Le CRAN) highlighted the country’s ongoing racism problems ahead of the country’s Election last month, by sending a man through the streets of Paris tattooed in racist insults.

Agency Leo Burnett Paris collated the racist insults and names included in the tattoos via social media, interviews with celebrities and audio testimonials. On April 24, Le CRAN sent the man out into crowded areas of the city to hand out leaflets, and encouraged people to tweet about it with the hashtag #jeffaceleracisme. With National Front leader Marine Le Pen running for President at the time, it was a timely stunt.

“We want to alert the French to racist insults, the impact of which is often underestimated,” explained Louis Georges Tin, president of Le CRAN, in a statement.

13674: In The Black.

Adweek reported: “McCann and Leo Burnett Win Black Cubes at ADC Awards…” So the two White advertising agencies now have more Black Cubes than Blacks in cubes.

13673: To Sir The Baptist With Love.

From Campaign…

Ad man turned rapper Sir the Baptist on what he learned at Leo Burnett

By I-Hsien Sherwood

The hip-hop star’s first album debuts May 12, but he learned to market his music in adland.

Sir the Baptist has opened for Beyoncé, won accolades from Jay-Z and performed in a coffin onstage at Lollapalooza. But just a few years ago, he was better known as William James Stokes, an ad man from the South Side of Chicago working on the McDonald’s account at Leo Burnett.

He realized the techniques he was using to promote other musicians would work for his own music as well. So he gave up his steady agency job to pursue his music career and started driving for Lyft to make ends meet, networking with the people he picked up and recording with equipment he kept under his seat.

After signing with Atlantic Records a year ago, he gave up driving other people around, but he returned to Lyft late last year with a song written for the ride sharing app’s branded short film, “June,” directed by John Kahrs of “Monsters Inc.” and “Toy Story 2.”

Sir the Baptist’s debut album “Saint or Sinner” from Atlantic Records drops May 12. Ahead of the premiere next week, he spoke with Campaign US about the influences he’s carried with him from his advertising days.

How did you get into advertising in the first place?

I’ve always had a knack for marketing and branding. That goes back to when I was a child helping my dad in the church or in the early branding of my artist career. But through some networking and introductions I got my first position in digital marketing at Leo Burnett.

What accounts did you work on?

I quickly transitioned to Artist & Brands, which was a partnership between McDonald’s, Leo Burnett and [music producer] Rodney Jerkins. This allowed me to work with McDonald’s and many other brands. This allowed me to work with McDonald’s and many other brands. One of the biggest projects that I worked on was implementing a digital jukebox in all McDonald’s wi-fi networks nationwide. This experience made me realized that I could replicate these kinds of ideas to my own music career.

Why did you decide to leave the advertising industry?

I wanted to invest in myself and put these ideas to build and better my career. I realized that I had a sound that wasn’t as conducive to work for other artists as myself, and so I decided to go all-in to push my career.

You ended up homeless and driving a car for Lyft afterward. Was being an ad man really worse than that?

I enjoyed my time in the ad world, but I always knew that I had a larger calling to be a preacher, as my father was in the church. Except my preaching applies to a larger group of people at music festivals, over the radio and beyond.

I wouldn’t say that the ad world was holding me back, but I did feel a sense of liberation when I had to make my music career work. Especially when I was driving Lyft and sleeping out of the back of my van.

Most agencies struggle to attract and keep talented people of color. Did that play a role in your departure?

I can’t say that race was a primary reason for leaving the ad world. But I will say that I was one of the few black creatives in the films that I worked in, and there was certainly a sense of inequality that exists in the advertising world.

Is there anything you learned in advertising that you use in your career as a musician?

Absolutely. I use a lot of the marketing, branding and ad ideas that I learned at Leo and Artist & Brands in my current music career. I loved working for McDonald’s. Implementing the digital jukebox on their wi-fi network and seeing millions of streams and downloads on their system really gave me the confidence to know that I can do the same for my artist career.

You recently wrote the song “Movin’” for a Lyft ad. What’s better, making ads or being in them?

What was great about Lyft is that I was able to score a section of their short film. So it was a mix of being featured in the film but also creating the score to fit the scene and what the company needed for that section.

More importantly, I have a very deep connection to the company. They helped me get through a time in my life to get to where I’m at now as a recording artist. And I was also able to perform at their 2016 Holiday Party in San Francisco and develop a strong relationship with their co-founder John Zimmer.

John the Baptist came to a bad end. Do you expect a similar fate?

We shall see! I am prepared for whatever the future holds for my fate. But I know that I have been sent here to change the culture and heal music and hip hop in a way never done before. That is my sole goal right now for 2017.