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What 'Jurassic World' Dinos Taught Jason Keehn About Brand Building
The founder of Accompany Creative harnesses capitalism for the greater good
Jason Keehn is founder of Accompany Creative. He previously spent 20+ years in brand strategy, identity, and integrated advertising as chief growth officer at Yard NYC. His client roster includes Nespresso, Neiman Marcus, NBC Universal and the YMCA of Greater New York.
In 2022, Jason launched the first-ever mission-driven merchandising campaign with Universal Pictures for Jurassic World.
“We really leaned into the authentic aspects of the franchise and its fandom to drive excitement,” says Jason. “Our core mission was to ‘preserve legacies of the past.’ This was inspired by the idea of ancient wonders (dinosaurs) that have gone extinct, and how that can be applied today.”
“We looked at indigenous and cultural artistry, much of which is at risk of going extinct in a modern manufacturing era, and we made that our mission and narrative merchandising focus—supporting certified fair trade cooperatives in Nepal and India that were preserving that type of craft and uplifting communities.”
“Our launch video was a mission-led take on a movie trailer, we recreated the original John Williams theme song using traditional Indian instruments like the sitar, we had the classic ‘stomp’ of the T-rex show vibrating ground and artisan tools for an ominous opening, and we leveraged core visual equities in the merchandising like a T-rex foot kids plate; dinosaur hooded terrycloth towel-robes, and round logo ‘coin’ pillows among other more abstracted dino-inspired home decor.”
We spent a few minutes with Jason to learn about his background, inspirations and how capitalism is a machine for good.
What brand is doing the best job of building community right now?
Liquid Death. They leveraged clear brand values, bold creative identity and a genuine attitude of disruption to create something that people want to be a part of and claim as a badge. That kind of ethos is what makes individuals coalesce into a community. And they did it all with water and aluminum cans.
What led you to create Accompany Creative—why was it so important to you?
I’ve always believed that capitalism is a machine—you can do more good with it if you point its inputs and outputs in a more socially-conscious direction. If we can “turn on” the consumer to mission-led, ethical and sustainable products, then businesses will source that way more often (and costs will gradually come down). My team’s background in aspirational lifestyle helps us tap into that sense of desire. It makes us uniquely capable at motivating consumers toward a better world through what they purchase and give their loyalty to.
A non-advertising industry you learn from?
Fashion and retail merchandising. It’s similarly about bold, attention-grabbing presentations, stories that are told through the emotions and design and memories you make as the product transforms you. Even creator and influencer projects are similar to the way fashion editors were the go-to source of influence 10 to 20 years ago.
Who changed the trajectory of your career, and what did they teach you?
Ruth Bernstein at Yard NYC was my boss and mentor for many years. She taught me how brands can claim an aspiration that’s grounded in insight and reflects a clear purpose. I learned that the best brands are crafted on a set of values and beliefs. They have a “nemesis” they’re fighting against. And they have a distinctive voice and expression they show up with in the world. This influenced my approach to the mission-led branding, activations and campaigns we do now.
What’s your main strength as a creative person?
Inspiring and delegating. I believe I’ve done a good job setting a vision of what’s possible and what it could mean to pursue the work that we do—on an agency level or at the client level. And I’ve done a good job finding individuals with the right expertise to make sure we have real experts at the table. It’s allowed our work to have high integrity, while keeping us flexible, fresh and focused.
How has your lived experience shown up in your work?
In my personal life, I’ve always searched (perhaps subconsciously) for meaning. Fighting the “Is That All There Is?” mood that can sometimes make life seem dull and monotonous. I go to the ends of the earth to find jaw-dropping vistas of nature or experience the unique warmth and charms of foreign cultures—often to remind myself that the most inspiring parts of life are in the “little things” just as much as in the big questions. That philosophy shows up in the work we do, as we are always finding the meaning behind a brand and product and trying to pull that forward. Showing the consumer how the little things matter, but also taking the consumer on a journey to some kind of awe-inspiring destination or story or design. That spirit is where the name “Accompany” came from—that sense of journey that unlocks possibility, makes you feel alive and hints at the potential for transformation, both for the consumer and the client.
You’ve got 2 minutes with the industry. What’s your hot take?
I wish we could consistently acknowledge that it always comes back to brand-building. And good brand building has purpose at its core. Performance results absolutely matter. And we, like everyone else, are laser focused on them. Creators and influencers matter, and they are incredible partners to grab attention and build relevance. Immersive experiential ideas are impactful and create memories and loads of shareable content. But all of this is still in service of a long-term relationship we are building between the brand and the consumer. There will always be too much “stuff” in marketing. A brand that knows what it stands for and consistently shows up to add relevant value and meaningful connection for consumers will grow and last. It seems like every few years the pendulum swings because a new type of marketing is trending or newly measurable, and the emphasis moves off of brands. But inevitably, it always seems to swing back.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
