Jules Hall began his career as a management consultant before riding the advertising wave which led him to create The Hallway in 2007.
He’s built it into a creative powerhouse with heart, earning a host of awards including a Cairns Crocodiles Silver and a Cannes Lions Gold, all while championing a culture people genuinely enjoy.
In this week’s Fast 10, B&T’s very own Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham and Hall talk career highs, sporting grit, calculated creativity and the truth behind the Webjet ads.
1.You’ve had a brilliant career, from a business analyst at Accenture in the UK, to now CEO/Founder of The Hallway. If you had to pick only one, what would be your career highlight so far?
Jules Hall: Making the decision to start The Hallway. Jameson Irish Whiskey sponsored my sailing and then said they wanted me to take on their creative account. I had no name for the agency, no office, no staff. So of course I said yes!
2.You have an impressive sporting background: rowing , sailing, and biking? How has your competitive spirit informed your leadership style?
JH: I’m painfully determined and competitive. Which I appreciate is not always a good leadership trait. But it’s enabled us to achieve some ridiculously lofty goals.
3.You have an impressive client list. What current work are you most proud of & is driving real business growth?
JH: Some of the work I am most proud of is the least visible. The ways we are currently working with big brands to drive massive customer growth, using data and creativity to unlock new opportunities. Of the more visible work, I’m really proud of our recent Webjet work. The industry sees the ads, but what sits behind the ads is a total business transformation, led by brand.
4.As a young boy, what did you want to be when you grew up?
JH: Do young boys ever think that far ahead? Like, really? Sorry, I didn’t. I was too busy having fun!
5.You have won Cairns Croc Awards. Does award success drive business momentum?
JH: Creating great work drives massive momentum. It grows your clients’ businesses. And when that happens word gets out. Which opens more doors. The awards help amplify all of that.
6.As an industry, what’s one thing you would change to make us all better?
JH: We love the past. The world’s changed people. Advertising as you knew it is dead. We are writing a new future, right now. And it needs all of our creativity to make it happen. So we’re not redundant. But we do need to be different.
7.Love your new positioning, Calculated Creativity. What’s the backstory of its origin?
JH: It’s the idea that’s driving how we’re adapting to the new world order. Combining imagination with intelligence to deliver transformative growth for our clients. Because we grow when they grow.
8.What’s the best career advice you’ve been given?
JH: I learned it in sport. Back yourself. Never give up. But train perfectly. Always.
9.What’s one thing that’s not on your LinkedIn profile?
JH: My silent business partner. Mrs H.
10.Important last question: Do your parents really know what you do?
JH: My folks were farmers. Advertising wasn’t a career much talked about in rural England.
