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Interview: Jimmie Stone

by Hank Stewart on September 18th, 2006   Comments [3]

Jimmie Stone is Partner and Executive Creative Director of Green Team. Here he speaks about the origins and intentions of After These Messages.

What’s important to you?

Authenticity. To be surrounded by authentic people. To be whatever you are–constantly. That will give you credibility. Even if you’re a bad person. If you’re an authentically bad person, I respect you.

How does After These Messages address that?

I’m not sure that I can explain how authenticity is related to ATM, but I believe it’s part of what Green Team is looking for. It’s a way for us to open up our thinking. It is a way for us to understand where other people draw the line on responsibility in communication. Also it’s a wake up call for us to see if what we think is important for the rest of the world.

We’re inside this bubble we call Green Team, where we all kinda think alike, even though we have heated debates amongst each other.

After These Messages helps us investigate outside this bubble. It’s interesting that a lot of people don’t grasp the power and importance of communication.

Does the communication industry as a whole need a wake up call?

Every industry is dominated by a few. And that few knows exactly what they are doing. They have a great interest in maintaining the status quo, lets say they have a “deep sleep.” Others are awake to the power they have, and misuse it. And then there is the rest, the majority (like always) needs a wake-up call.

Where would you like to see ATM a year from now?

I would like to see it as a brand in itself. A community of communicators talking about their jobs, openly, honestly, and eventually, it will take a form of its own. We would like to compile a compendium. To see ATM be part of the larger communication portals (AdForum, AdCritic), something like an ATM Seal of Approval. But then again, we don’t want to control it, we want to see how evolves. What help would it be if we influence ATM’s future? It defeats the purpose.

Why did Green Team create After These Messages?

Green Team was founded on the principal that, through communications, we can change the world. As you can see we are kinda obsessively optimistic. ATM is a natural campaign for Green Team to really enforce our existence. If we all understand the power of our jobs, and realize that we are in this world for just minutes we all can chip in to improve it.

And, to tell you the truth, it’s extremely important that we never stop learning. We need to understand much better all the gray areas on responsible communications what are the limits, boundaries, and when are we just being extreme, the last one is very important.

So, can the same mind that censors itself, ever let itself fully go again?

That is a good question, and that’s the type of thing we would like to find out in ATM. It happens to me, and I hate it when it does. I think that creativity is a powerful force, and we need to let it loose, but what we’re trying to say in this campaign is, make sure that you at least think about the impact of your work before is released. That’s all just think about it.

I don’t think creativity, at the moment of creation, needs to be responsible. In fact the moment of creation should be actively irresponsible. I think the moment of communication, or deploying that creativity is when our filters of responsibility should jump. But I’m also concerned that eventually those filters of responsibility are ultimately going to diminish our creative ability to break molds, to truly be new. Another question we need to address.

“Responsibility” is a boring word, but you put it inside yourself and don’t say it anymore. Be yourself and be honest. You can screw it up here and there, but at least you’re being honest. I think that the problem with communication today is that some is deliberately dishonest. I don’t hate many things, but this is an exception.

How do you dissolve ethical conflicts in your own work?

Discussing them with other people. Ethical conflicts are internal. It’s almost like playing tennis with yourself. That’s hard. It’s actually impossible, if you think about it. Sometimes you make the wrong decision, and that decision is made inside of you. I resolve conflicts by talking to people I trust. What is hard is to be open, humble and objective, and not visceral.

Whom do you trust?

I trust people who live their lives in the pursuit of something, From Chinese philosophers, to Tibor Kalman, to my grandmother. People who I love and will say what’s in their hearts, even if they are wrong. I trust authentic people.

What is it you’re pursuing?

I believe we can change things, move human race forward. But I didn’t study diplomacy, I didn’t study politics, for some reason, my life went into advertising. And I still believe in change. I study advertising in the work of Toscani and the work of Tibor.

I am a believer and I am a dad, which force me to believe even more, and I play in my laptop Apple's “here’s to the crazy ones” ad everyday; imagine how one ad can make a difference.

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