gloss interview series: Senior Art Producer Jason Lau
What made you seek a career in advertising?
I never really sought out a job in advertising. It all happened by accident! A good accident! I went to school for package design and fell in love with photography at the end of my college career. At that point, I couldn’t change my major unless I wanted to stay in school longer. Which I didn’t want to do! Not knowing what to do next I took a job at TBWA\ Los Angeles after a little hiatus of being a lost soul. I started as a creative traffic manager, later becoming a Jr. Art Buyer. It was perfect blend of having creative input, producing and not being an Art Director.
Where do you find inspiration for your work? Who do you find inspiring?
This sounds cheesy- but the world around me. Music, fashion, blogs, talented people doing what they love- that’s what inspires me.
How do you keep yourself relevant?
I try to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry: PDN, blogs, word of mouth and connections. Connections are big- talk about things, have conversations, etc.
Who is your dream client and why?
I can’t say if there’s a dream client for me. Sometimes clients are doing stellar work and sometimes they’re not. It’s always evolving, so this changes for me. I like clients who take risk. Clients that can be artful. Clients that draw a human emotion out of someone. These are the types of advertising I’m drawn towards, rather then specific clients themselves.
What is the favorite thing about your job? Least favorite thing?
I really get to work with some of the best and talented people in the industry. Some are divas and some are not. It’s fun, not brain science. I think the least favorite part is when people think they are too cool for school. “I ain’t got time for that!”
If you could go back in time to when you just started your career, what advice would you give yourself?
I started advertising at the age of 25. Not straight out of school- I took some time to discover what I wanted to do. I guess the one thing I would say to myself was to jump on the wagon sooner- but I can’t say that my life at this point would be any different. It’s been a great ride so far!
Who is your hero?
Holger. I’m kidding! Again, I don’t have one really. There’s a bunch of people that I look up to but no one in particular.
What is your life’s motto?
This sounds evil, but it’s a title of an album back in my punkish days- “Living well is the Best Revenge”
