James Young has nearly two decades of experience producing innovative marketing and digital advertising campaigns. Prior to BBDO, Young led a variety of transmedia projects for HBO’s Game of Thrones and True Blood. While at Johannes Leonardo, he also produced Re: Brief for Google which won the 2012 Mobile Grand Prix at Cannes. During his tenure at BBDO, his teams have created award-winning work for Bacardi, Mars, Color of Change, St. Jude, and others. He currently serves as the EVP, Head of Creative Innovation and continues to push innovation and new technology efforts across the agency inclusive of AI, AR, Web3 & VR.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Does handing out flyers promoting records outside of shows count? I think so! Doing so helped me develop a comfort in talking to strangers. Constant reps trying to engage people in something they’re more often than not uninterested in comes in really handy in this business!
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
Probably True Blood: Revelation for HBO when I was at Campfire. We produced so much content across disciplines and, as a small shop, I was able to be involved at every level. As one of my first major projects in advertising, that one provided so much exposure to so many ways of making.
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
I think one of the best and most challenging parts of my job are the same, which is trying to figure out how something is going to get done. Having a focus in the emerging tech space means I see a lot of ideas that have never been done before. A lot of what we do is trying to figure out if something is even feasible and, if not, working to figure out what a version of the idea that keeps it’s spirit alive can look like.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video and television?
Well, I haven’t yet! However, I’ve judged in other spaces and I look for ideas that use the tools available to them (interactive or not) to better communicate or enrich a message rather than just show off the tech for tech’s sake.
How do you unwind from work mode?
I love to go for a long swim, lose myself in a great video game or head out for a few days of camping.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to fuel your creativity?
I fall in and out of it but when I do keep up with a meditation routine, it’s hard not to notice the benefits.
When did you know that this career is what you wanted to do?
Probably in the early days working at Campfire. I didn’t intend to get into advertising so my perspective on what it was and could do was pretty limited. Working with the team there made me see it as an opportunity for telling good stories and, every once in a while, making a difference.
What inspired you to join the field and create the kind of work you do?
Way back in high school, I created a Geocities fan website that was half dedicated to Twin Peaks and half to pro wrestling. (Maybe the only on ever?) It was my first exposure to what coding could do. Being able to type a bunch of characters into a blank space and have it translate to something structured and visual was so cool.
In your experience, what is a significant change happening in the video and television industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
Aside from a whole lot more AI, I think we’re going to see things start to come together more. Social, commerce, story-telling. Kind of like a progression of what we’ve seen with commerce coming into TikTok but I think it will be done with more subtlety and integration.
Have you ever experienced discrimination within your work and how did you deal with it?
As a middle-aged, straight, white male, I’ve been privileged to not have many issues myself. However, I of course see them all around me on the day-to-day. I’ve tried to use the position I’m in to provide opportunities to those that have greater challenges in this space when it comes to hiring, mentorship and any other support I’m able to offer.
What’s a work tool you use every day and what’s one that is obsolete that you wish still existed?
I use ChatGPT a ton. Mostly as an alternative to traditional web searches. Can’t really think of a tool I miss so let’s go with Geocities. Would love to cringe at my green-type-on-black-background work from the past.