#BehindtheSelfie with... Jacque Matthee

Jack-of-all-trades Mathee shows us various sides of his personality.

1. Where do you live, work and play?

Matthee: I live in Linden/Roosevelt Park, where all creative-Afrikaans types congregate, work at Y&R Jozi (Bryanston) and I play at home, “watching sport” on my couch whenever I can.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

Matthee: Despite working in advertising, and having played in numerous hard rock bands and being addicted to sneakers – I do not drink, smoke or do drugs – have never, will never.

3. Describe your career so far.

Matthee: I’ve never been afraid to jump from one shop to the next or from one discipline to the next. This devil-may-care attitude has afforded me some highs and lows, but has mostly contributed to building a career that is firmly rooted in integrated advertising solutions to clients’ problems – and a love for pitching “hell of a scary” stuff to clients.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Matthee: My wife and our life, tattoos, sneakers, fast cars, chocolate, SuperSport.

5. What do you love about your industry?

Matthee: That we have an opportunity to use someone else’s money to make really kiff stuff that solves their problems; the fact that I get to wear sneakers, caps and hoodies to work and go into a “suit and tie” boardroom and shoot the lights out with friggin’ lekker work that excites the crap out of people.

6. What are a few pain points your industry can improve on?

Matthee: I think we’re getting there – if this was 10 years ago, I’d have a proper rant about client vs agency relationships. But I think agencies and clients have worked through that, especially if an offering is sincere and truly multi-channel to the benefit of the client. There can be a lekker alignment of the stars when both parties are willing, able, and brave together.

7. What are the tools of your trade?

Matthee: Bravery, stamina, luck and insight – and a lot of coffee.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

Matthee: Those who have figured out, and mobilised true integration in their organisations – the only way to achieve this is to “drop the attitude and the ego at the f**king door” and get stuck into solving the client’s problem without any preconceived agendas.

8. What are you working on right now?

Matthee: Y&R SA’s Johannesburg office – The Resurrection.

9. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Matthee: ‘Integrated thinking’ and ‘branded content’ – love ’em, use them all the time!

9. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

Matthee: Half-and-half.

10. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

Matthee: In my sleep – I have to sleep on a brief.

11. What’s your secret talent/party trick?

Matthee: I love public speaking.

12. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Matthee: Pictures of my wife and family, cars, sneakers, and architecture… and home gym selfies… it’s weird, I know!

13. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

Matthee: Be patient, be willing, plug into the agency and the work – you have a lot to learn, very quickly, this is not an Instagram filter or a clever tweet – be prepared for the long game.

Simple as that. Connect with Mathee on LinkedIn or visit his blog and view his ‘latest graft’ for more. You can also follow Y&R on Twitter for more.

*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.