Ad of the Day: Rick and Morty’s Jerry Smith lands real-life creative director role
In a week of unusual creative director hires, DDB FTW has hired Rick and Morty ex-agency character Jerry Smith as its creative director, entering Morty’s 2D father into the fourth dimension.
Rick and Morty character Jerry Smith has been hired by a real ad agency
The news was broken by DDB FTW on its LinkedIn page. “To produce unexpected work, we need unexpected talent,” it stated. “Let us introduce our new creative director Jerry Smith who joined our global team today.”
While Smith isn’t the obvious choice for the coveted role of a creative director, he does have some experience working in the advertising industry. The butt of a lot of jokes, until DDB FTW hired him, Morty’s dad was a former advertising agent who struggled to find the right career, series after series. He is best known for the famous campaign ‘Hungry for Apples?’
Prior to his new hire, Smith’s LinkedIn was already built up, including a mock portfolio of work that spelled out who he is and why agencies should hire him, before pointing them to evidence of his work.
On his hire, parody Smith says: “In your face, Rick!”, referring to his difficult relationship with his father-in-law.
A branch of DDB, and billed as a gaming and reports network, DDB FTW opened fairly recently – just last November. Keen to get its name on the agency map, the unusual stunt is sure to attract some attention. Smith’s LinkedIn account already boasts nearly 5,000 followers.
The hire follows Pretty Little Thing’s decision to hire Love Island influencer Molly Mae as creative director, showing signs the role is being rethought.
