Ant Jackson
Creative Director and Strategy Consultant
Ant Jackson graduated from MA Creative Advertising in 2015.
“I’m a creative director, strategy consultant and founder of Agony Ant Creative Clinic, now based in Sydney, Australia. Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked at global agencies including TBWA\London and Wunderman Thompson, and with brands including Lidl, IKEA, HSBC and the Paralympic Games. Most known for writing Lidl's tagline Big On Quality, Lidl On Price, these days my work sits somewhere between creativity, strategy and behaviour change, from building brands and creating campaigns to tackling social and cultural problems. I helped launch Open Justice For All, a grassroots campaign that contributed to UK law reform, have worked in LGBTQ+ advocacy through Outvertising, and advise Toronto homelessness charity Tiny Tiny Homes.
“What inspires me most is seeing potential: something that could exist but doesn’t yet, whether that’s a founder’s vision, a better version of a brand, or an idea that could challenge something unjust.”
How has Falmouth shaped the work you do now?
“Falmouth was where I first realised creativity can be much bigger than simply answering a brief. While there, my creative partner and I created The Cannes Lion Arse Award after visiting an agency and seeing what we jokingly considered a disappointingly incomplete Cannes Lion trophy. We made the missing shiny backside and offered it to Cannes-winning agencies in exchange for a placement. What started as a slightly ridiculous idea ended up being featured by Campaign, getting us invited to Cannes for a portfolio review, generating interviews and ultimately helping us secure our first placement. It was the first time I really understood the power of being proactive, creating your own story and using media to make an idea travel. I also remember my lecturer Rob Kitchen telling us that “inspiration is everywhere”. My eyes have been slightly wider open ever since. Ideas can come from an overheard conversation, an observation, something annoying you, a strange contradiction or something everyone else has simply stopped noticing. Falmouth taught me to keep looking.”