Interview
Buchun Jiang
United States
Wild, free and eccentric, Buchun Jiang is the next industry hotness with an incredible portfolio of global works!
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your background.
I am a Chinese art director with hot work for hot brands like Popeyes and Michelob Ultra. I was born in China and went to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign studying advertising. After college I studied art direction at ad school for two years and now I'm working as a professional art director and producing exciting campaigns.
2 What led you to become a marketing communications professional?
In college, I wrote a great, creative paper about mental health issues in the classic movie “The Breakfast Club” for my psychology class, hoping to get 5 out of 5 extra credit points, but instead, I got 1 out of 5. At that moment I thought to myself maybe psychology is not for me, maybe I should do more creative things. So I switched majors and became an art director.
3 What is your role in the agency, and what traits should a marketing communications professional possess to be successful in their role?
My role is art direction and ideation, and the most important trait to success in marketing is the ability to grasp the human truth/insight behind any interesting things and apply it to your work.
4 Tell us more about your agency/company.
MAS is an incubator for creatives that are passionate about bringing their artistic voices to their projects and making an impact to the world.
5 What is your own definition of marketing communications?
Marketing Communication means providing the right content to the right audience at the right time.
6 Describe your marketing communications style and its main characteristics.
I'd describe my communication style as humorous and insightful.
7 Tell us about your ideation process.
Trying to locate the insight behind a trending thing and combine it with the client's ask is how I usually produce creative ideas.
8 Congratulations! As the winner of the NYX Marcom Awards, what does it mean for you and your team to receive this distinction?
It means a lot, it represents how much I am passionate about this industry and how much effort I put into my projects.
9 How has winning an international award help to promote your agency and works?
It definitely brings more credibility and recognition.
10 What are the challenges of your winning entry(s)?
For the OM Yoga Logo design, the challenge was from the client because after 4 rounds, the client was still not satisfied and asked for a new start from scratch, and it was close to the deadline.
11 How has the country you are based in helped during your ideation process?
The United States definitely brings diversity and cultural aspects in my ideation process, visiting different cities and embracing all the differences help me have a better understanding of culture.
12 What are the current trends in the marketing communications industry that you are most excited about?
I’m most excited about the tech innovations in marketing communication because it has so much potential to open more creative ways to sell products and build brands.
13 What are the top three (3) favorite things about the marketing communications industry?
Creativity, making changes to the world, and the fact of that this industry is fun and full of energy
14 What resources would you recommend to someone who is searching to improve their marketing communications ideas and concepts?
Adage, Adweek, Breaking and Entering Podcast, The One show Archive, TikTok
15 Where do you see the evolution of the marketing industry in the next 5-10 years?
It’ll become more efficient and more impactful.
16 Who inspired you in your life, and why?
Michael Jordan inspired me because of his competitiveness. Nothing more motivating than watching the greatest basketball player giving 110% out there.
17 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Be true to yourself, trust your instinct. Always think about “would you do it yourself” to see if an idea works or not.
18 Do you have anything else you would like to add for the interview?
Keep a young mind!
