Jen Peace is the managing director of creative agency Momentum and brings a sharp, modern view on how brands need to show up today.
Peace has quietly accelerated the reinvention of the IPG affiliate agency drawing on experience from both agency and brand roles including head of brand at Bankwest and head of business development at BWM Dentsu.
In this week’s Fast 10, B&T’s very own Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham and Jen Peace delved into her career journey, reinventing an agency and building braver and more modern creative work.
1. You’ve had a brilliant career, starting at Ogilvy in the UK, client side at BankWest, plus, many diverse roles to now the MD at Momentum. If you had to pick only one, what would be your career highlight so far?
My early days in my first role at Ogilvy and Mather were mind-blowing. I trepidatiously decided to do a bit of spontaneous research by staying up late at night and interviewing sweaty people at the gym near the office about two different ad concepts for Lucozade Sport. My boss at the time was struggling to get the agency’s preferred concept across the line. I left the report on my boss’ desk and he sold the work. It ended up winning at D&AD.
I learned the importance of just going for it, taking initiative and being tenacious. And now I’m in the middle of a career highlight every single day, where I get to turn up and be unashamedly me, leading a band of incredibly brilliant and determined people to do brave and brilliant things.
2. Over the last two years, the agency has had quite a reinvention. What are the major initiatives you are most proud of?
I could list a bazillion individual initiatives, but seeing as this is the Fast 10, these are the highlights… a renewed love with existing clients. It’s easy to hunt for new shiny things but some of our clients have been with us for over a decade. I am so blown away by how much they have been cheerleading us coming out the other side of our ‘mid-life crisis’. F1 for Heineken, Amex Presents for American Express as two recent examples.
I’m super excited with some of the new clients such as Lion and Endeavour Group.
I’m also super proud of our ‘5 per cent or more’ initiative. It’s a commitment to give more (care, creativity, attention) to our clients and each other. The shift is small day by day, but over a year we become truly kind, passionate and brilliant.
3. I love the excellent work you have done for Amex Presents. How has this evolved, and is this driving business growth?
The work continually evolves as each artist we get to represent has a different vibe. The beauty is creating the seamless yet evolving connection with the Amex brand. We have a truly progressive client who approves big ideas and cool experience moments – a ‘tattoo’ artist for Teddy Swims? Sure! Limited edition French fry ice cream for Billie Eilish? Sure!
As for Momentum’s growth, showcasing our strategic and creative work, especially for Gen Z audiences, has helped us reassert our relevance. And for American Express, while we can’t go into details, having over 1,000 fans a night hailing their amazing insta-worthy Amex experiences is surely great for brand advocacy.
4. As a young girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A kids TV presenter. I grew up in the UK in the 80s and those wacky, bright jumper-wearing presenters doing crazy pranks, wild ideas and making people laugh, were my heroes. I ended up in advertising, so not that far removed I guess.
5. I know you do far more than regular activations. How has this changed, and what’s a recent example that brings the new offering to life?
Thanks for helping us spread the good word. We’re embracing the skillset of our team, which means more strategic projects across brand and business transformation, as well as a more rounded application of ‘experience’. We deliver against all the ways that humans experience a brand, from IRL events to advertising, content and beyond. Our strategic work for Genea Fertility clinics based on behavioural psychology and research into those struggling to start a family is a great example. It’s been an immersive and moving experience, and we recently shot the associated TV campaign that will accompany the work.
6. As an industry, what’s one thing you would change to make us all better?
I believe the entire industry should commit to ‘Open source ideas’. It raised a few eyebrows when I introduced this to Momentum, but hear me out. If we as an industry genuinely believe our ideas are brilliant, then the ultimate aim should be to share them. It may seem contrary to industry concern about monetisation, but in my experience a good client will pay, and that most valuable thing, trust, is established immediately. A less good client will take the idea and use it without paying or hand it off to another agency, but then we don’t want them as clients anyway. Regardless, a great idea makes its way into the world.
7. The current market is challenging for clients. What is your advice to drive clients’ business metrics and sales?
In a tougher market, the answer isn’t to pull back it’s to be braver. Yes, that’s marketing, but it’s also a business mindset. You’ve got to manage what the board wants now, which may, in reality, be a smaller profit, without eroding the future relationship with your customer. We see it with things like Amex Presents; bold, culturally relevant ideas that drive immediate engagement, but also build long-term love and loyalty. The brands that win are the ones with the guts to invest in both.
8. What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
Don’t be a dickhead. It’s the best life advice too…
9. What’s one thing that’s not on your LinkedIn profile?
I ‘grew up’ in the industry when it was almost a dirty word to mention having kids. I’m so pleased to see that changing. So I’d probably pop in something about proudly leading a team of two magnificent daughters, although, at 19 and 15 they are most certainly the bosses now.
10. Important last question: Do your parents really know what you do?
They know their extrovert daughter wanted to have big adventures all over the world and appears to be doing just that. I’m incredibly fortunate for that.
