Chief Creative Officer
Ogilvy and Mather

She’s a busy woman. She speaks her mind. She tells the truth. So as I sat and waited, and waited a little more in a big cozy red chair down at Ogilvy, it was no surprise that it was a hectic day as usual for Janet Kestin. Meetings. Dealines. More meetings. “So sorry I kept you waiting. It’s been a busy morning.”We headed down the large corridor to her massive office with an incredible view. There were phones ringing in the background and busy bodies everywhere. Finally, a chance to sit and chat. And I had a cool, comfortable conversation with this friendly, successful, witty woman.

Like two pieces of a puzzle, Janet found her match. She and her partner Nancy Vonk have become a successful duo in the advertising industry. They’ve enjoyed working together since ’91 as creatives and now as Chief Creative Officers at Ogilvy and Mather; they’re active in the advertising community, winning and judging awards shows, and helping the industry grow.

Janet loves what she does. But this wasn’t always the case. When she first started her journey into the advertising world, she left after 4 short years. Her first time around, she had a hard time coping with the stress. She had different priorities, often being too attached to her work. “If you want to make it, you have to learn to deal with rejection. And you have to toughen up.”Now with almost 2 decades of experience in advertising, I wondered how she learned to become better equipped to deal with the stress of this often cut-throat industry.

ihaveanidea: What’s your background?

Kestin: Well I don’t have a typical advertising background. After high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. One thing I did love to do was write. So I got a job working part-time at a language school teaching English. My rent was due and I had to get something more solid. I really came into the industry accidentally. A copywriting position opened here at Ogilvy. When I first got hired, they thought I was a ‘nice girl who could write’. And I seemed bright enough that they could teach me. During the first four years I worked hard but I didn’t think I had what it takes. I took everything so personally. I would get so emotional when my ideas were rejected. I would go home many nights crying. I treated work like it was my first child.

ihaveanidea: What made you decide to return?

Kestin: Well, on my leave I had time to think. I worked. I freelanced. And my priorities shifted when I had my child. I didn’t ever want to shortchange my family. So I had to find a balance. I had to set my priorities. Then another contract position opened at Ogilvy and I was asked to come back. Nancy definitely had an impact on my return. In the past, I worked with a lot of different people but I was always searching for something deeper, more symbiotic. It was May long weekend and Nancy and I spent it working together. We really got to know each other. We had so many similarities personally and professionally. We both have families. We both worked on similar accounts. We got along effortlessly. And our chemistry was right. It’s hard to explain. It’s incredible when you find that connection.
And now I have the chance to work with really great people.

ihaveanidea: Do you think the role of women in the industry has changed over the past decade?

Kestin: I think.I think it’s progressed. I have the illusion it’s better. Five years ago there were barely any women in ‘Creative Director’ positions here in Toronto. I can’t say about the rest of the world but in Toronto most women were in all other departments.

ihaveanidea: Why is that?

Kestin: Well, I don’t know for sure. It’s possibly due to different priorities. But now, women like Nancy Vonk, Karen Howe and Marta Cutler are a few women in Toronto making an impact. One of the reasons I did decide to come back is that Ogilvy is a great place for women to work. It embraces the capabilities of women and men.

However, the industry is so competitive. Agencies are getting smaller. There are fewer jobs available. And expectations are so much higher for young creatives coming from school. There are many more men in CD positions. And if you have two people with similar abilities, you hire the person with whom you feel more at ease. For some men CD’s, it’s an easier choice to hire other men.

ihaveanidea: With a plethora of awards to claim, can you remember the first award you won and what it was for?

Kestin: (Ponders..) It was for Bovaid. ( Bovaid-the tiny little yellow plastic disks that are found on cows ears to release different chemicals.) Our headline was something like, “Contented cows are better producers. “I remember being at the photo shoot and someone left the back gate open. The cow got loose. We saw it running wildly down the tracks. It was pretty funny!

Strangely enough, when I was working here in Toronto on the Bovaid account, Nancy also had the same account in the US. There are so many similarities in both of our lives.

ihaveanidea: What’s your philosophy?

Kestin: Hmmmm. If you’re going to make a mistake, make a big one! Do it differently. Tell the truth. And if there’s no passion, don’t do it!

ihaveanidea: Have you ever done anything professionally that you regret?

Kestin: Sometimes I might piss people off because I say what I think. But you have to tell the truth. (Pause.) One thing I definitely regret is the number of tears I shed over bad ads. LOL. And looking back, I may have lost out on opportunities because I didn’t know much about the industry when I started. I didn’t have an advertising background and it took me a long time to learn the business.

ihaveanidea: What would you change about the industry if you could?

Kestin: I would make it more open minded. The world is changing faster than we are. We aren’t embracing the new as efficiently as we could. I’d love to see us start to work on a bigger canvas. Not only in print and radio but more interactive. Like ‘Minority Report’ and the talking boards. (Great movie).

ihaveanidea: I had to ask..”What advice do you have for juniors getting into the industry..”

Kestin: With a sarcastic reply she says: Read ASK JANCY. And then she continues. When I first started my book wasn’t solid.

ihaveanidea: I always hear successful creatives say that. How are we as unemployed juniors suppose to compete?

Kestin: Well if you want it badly enough, don’t give up. Right now, it’s unbelievably competitive. On the other hand, school’s graduate so many people who are never gonna make it. So you’ve got to decide whether this is really what you want. If it is, then go after it. You’ve got to make yourself – and your book – irresistible. CD’s are incredibly hard to see. So you’ve got to be clever. And go with your CHUTZPHA (your gut). Your book is a representation of you. Find ways to learn through each interview.

And in Janet’s final closing words:

“BE BRAVE LITTLE PIGLET. ”

Interview by
Catherine Konopelky
Journalist
ihaveanidea