Kevin JORDAN

What was your very first job?

Aside from the teenage basics like landscaping work, I’d say my first real job was designing the in-store signs (can’t really call it signage) for a few local retail stores in Berkeley, California.

Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails.

I’m currently the Creative Director of VH1. I creative direct all of the marketing output for the many programs we have on the network. This includes creative directing the teams that work on commercials/promos, key art, digital concepts, and the general look and feel of the channel.

How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was there train of events that brought you to where you are today?

I think I was a pretty imaginative kid, like most kids. I loved movies, TV, comic books, I used to draw a lot. I ended up making the decision to go to art school after high school, which led me to graphic design, which led me to Art Direction in advertising, which eventually led to my current job.

In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant?

In our business I think even more so than traditional advertising/marketing because ratings and reactions are so immediate, it’s all about fostering a deep connection with the audience. So our job is to both reflect and be a part of a specific culture. And the thing about culture is that it never stays still, it’s constantly evolving, transforming and generating new music, memes, language, etc. If you’re not inspired by that, there’s something wrong.

If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be?

That would be the work we did for the FDA’s anti-smoking campaign for teens. So much of what we do in this business is trying to influence people to buy things (often things they don’t really need). With that project I was able to work with really talented creatives to try to get young people not to buy something that could hurt or eventually kill them. That one felt good.