Jacob Bjornson

Jacob Bjornson didn’t take the traditional route into advertising; he left school and focused on self-directed learning rather than a degree. It was taking part in Jones Knowles Ritchie’s training scheme, Sparks Academy, that helped launch his career. Now a Junior Strategist at Digitas, Jacob proves that passion, persistence and creativity matter more than formal qualifications. From online courses during the pandemic to winning a D&AD award and even creating his own drinks brand, here Jacob explains how creatives can break in on their own terms.

What I do

How would you describe what you do?
In my role as a junior strategist, I do a lot of market and consumer research, collaborative brainstorming and workshops to uncover insights that help clients achieve their goals. For personal projects, I enjoy exploring ambitious ideas and finding ways to bring them to life.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work?
Firstly, my friend Razik Darji, who’s from a similar background to me, but is always one step ahead and keeps me motivated and on my toes. He’s helped me see how important it is to have inspiring people in your circle.

Also, randomly, the PS3 game LittleBigPlanet 2 sparked my creativity and strategic thinking early on. I’d spend hours building my own levels and figuring out how to make them stand out and get noticed by other players. Looking back, it’s kind of like my first taste of advertising.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
One thing I’ve noticed so far is that strategists come from all walks of life – some studied psychology or business, and some (like me) don’t have a university degree at all! If strategy is your goal, I’d recommend finding a solid online marketing course, then applying what you learn to self-initiated projects that show how you think. It’s less about what’s on your CV and more about how you approach a challenge.

What’s been your favourite project to work on from the past year, and why?
My favourite project in the past year was creating my own drinks brand, Espro. I was given creative freedom to build a brand from scratch.

I decided to make a cold coffee packed with protein and energy, optimised for people like me who prefer coffee over energy drinks before the gym. I was fortunate to do this during my time at Jones Knowles Ritchie’s Sparks Academy, where I had help from copywriters, designers, and strategists, which was such a cool experience!

What does a normal day-to-day usually look like for you?
Now at Digitas, my day-to-day involves lots of research, brainstorming, workshops and creating pitch decks – often in exciting spaces like gaming and AI. No two days are the same, which keeps things fresh and interesting.

If there was a starter pack for your job, what would be on it?
A love/hate relationship with PowerPoint, 30 open Reddit tabs and lots of Figma brainstorms.

How I got here

What was your journey like when you were first starting out?
My journey has definitely been unpredictable. I left school with two GCSEs due to poor health, and it was during the pandemic while working at Nando’s (when I was furloughed) that it began. I spent time and money studying a UX design course, as there was a big “industry need” for UX designers.

But many people did the same, and it became incredibly hard to find work, competing with hundreds or thousands for roles. So I broadened my search and worked unpaid at a startup instead, which was challenging but led me to meet someone I eventually won a D&AD pencil with. My advice is just do something, even if unpaid, because you never know where it might lead.

How did you go about landing your first few jobs or commissions?
My first paid role in advertising was the Sparks Academy at JKR. The application process was different; no CV or cover letter. Instead, they asked three questions: 'What makes you happy and why? What do you do when stuck? What does bravery mean to you?'

I answered with simple designs backed by interesting ideas, focusing more on the meaning behind the idea than on execution. I loved this way of recruitment because it allowed me to stand out more than just sending a CV among hundreds. It made me realise that quality applications are better than quantity.

What has been your biggest challenge along the way?
Working long, late shifts in hospitality jobs while wondering if I’d ever get into the industry. I spent all my spare time and money on unpaid work, building projects and applying for jobs.

How important are social media and self-promotion to your work?
No matter how you feel about LinkedIn, it’s been massively important to the roles I’ve gotten. It’s how I was invited to do this interview, how a startup reached out to me, and how I found out about D&AD and the Sparks Academy.

What are three things that have been useful to your work or career, and why?

What have been your greatest learnings when it comes to making money as a creative?
This might sound obvious, but I’ve learned to be totally clear with clients upfront about deliverables on freelance projects. If they try to add extra work that wasn’t part of the original deal, call it out. Your time is money, and clients have to respect that.

Advice

What’s the best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
The harder you work, the more luck you seem to have.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role?
If you’re struggling to stay motivated on personal projects, take part in a competition, like D&AD New Blood, Cannes Young Lions, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, etc.

They give you a topic, a deadline, and an award to aim for. Everything in my career has come from winning a D&AD New Blood award. Even if you don’t win, you’ll have a killer project for your portfolio – it’s a win-win.