Jerry Maguire - going your own way

New year, new start? 2024 was a tough year for many in the ad business. Everybody seemed to be chasing a diminishing amount of money, as client budgets and agency salaries continued to shrink. Maybe this year we should be chasing something else instead.

Everything I know about advertising I learnt from the movies #8

“Show me the money!”

It’s the line everybody remembers from Jerry Maguire, a morality tale set in the superficial, ego-driven, cut-throat, dog-eat-dog world of advertising. Sorry, sports talent management. Either way, everybody is scrambling over each other to be the next big thing and take home the big bucks – and big trophies.

It might not be the start of a new year, but at the start of the movie, Jerry – played by Tom Cruise – has an epiphany. He thinks it’s all wrong and wants to turn things around: make a fresh start, by first sharing his inspired vision with the world. Or his colleagues at least. So, he stays up until three in the morning writing a mission statement: “The things we think and do not say – the future of our business.” It’s about finding your heart and soul in a world that is constantly trying to tear them out. Or as Jerry says it: “I’d lost the ability to bullshit. I was the me I’d always wanted to be.”

That ‘me’ then rushes to an all-night copy shop, has a hundred copies hard copies printed and drops them on the desks of all his colleagues. When he shows up for work a few hours later, the whole office is reading it and he is greeted with clapping, whooping and cheering.

“Finally, someone’s said it,” says one of his colleagues, grabbing Jerry by the arm as he walks to his office, an expression of relief and pride forming on his face, at being recognised for his insight, honesty and integrity. Another of his colleagues remarks to the guy next to him, “how long do you give him.” “About a week,” is the reply. He’s not wrong.

The moment Jerry is fired, he immediately starts calling around his clients, to get them to come with him. “I’m going to make this decision easy for you, okay,” he says to one of them. “What does your heart tell you?” We don’t hear their reply, only his response: “I’m sorry to hear that.”

At the same time, his colleague Bob – the one who fired him – is calling around the same clients, trying to stop them jumping ship with Jerry. He also asks them a simple question. “Are you in or are you out? It’s not ‘show friends’ it’s ‘show business.’”

Anyway, Bob is right of course: the clients are in, and Jerry is now out. On his own, with just one client Rod, an American Football star who he’s struggling to find a new contract for. Which is why Rod keeps shouting: “Show me the money!”

As Jerry desperately tries to do just that, he forms a close personal bond with Rod, caring more for and about him, rather than the money. Which is (spoiler alert) what ultimately shows it to them both.

Sure, he might have had a bigger bank balance had he not written that mission statement and stayed with the big bad agency. But, by following his heart, rather than the money itself, he was able to do something more special and more meaningful, which brings me back to the advertising business.

If you work in it, you’ve probably heard of Greg Hahn.

In 2022 Greg was the incredibly successful and multi-award-winning CCO of BBDO New York. A modern-day Mad Man. And then he got canned. Because he wrote a heartfelt mission statement about everything that was wrong with the ad business? Probably not.

But later, he kind of did, when he struck out on his own – like Jerry – by founding his own agency: Mischief@ No Fixed Address.

Mischief is one of (if not the) hottest advertising agencies on the planet right now. And they’ve gotten there by following their own mission statement, a kind of ten commandments: “Things we believe to be true.” Number four is this: “If we focus on what makes us special, the money will follow. If we focus on the money, we will cease to be special.”

Because sometimes, when you just chase money – or other types of gold, like lions and pencils – it has a habit of running away from you.

Mischief is just one of a few smaller independent agencies right now – like Uncommon, Rethink and GUT – who seem to be leading the way, stealing the glory (and clients) from the big network agencies.

Does that mean having your own Jerry Maguire moment? Quitting your big (or small) agency job and striking out on your own. Maybe. Maybe not. What is does mean is being true to yourself. Going with your gut. Sticking with what you feel is right, rather than what others might tell you is right. Scary, but you'll never reach your true creative potential otherwise. Or, again, as Greg Hahn says: “We will never go wrong by doing the right thing.”

Just like Jerry.

And right after the real Epiphany, what better time to start.