Eric David Johnson, a.k.a. DJ Bunny Ears, wasn’t looking to leave New York–or for that matter, Young & Rubicam where he served with distinction as executive music producer.
But over time as he was courted and more deeply explored the opportunity emerging at DDB Chicago, he was drawn to the ad agency and came aboard as its executive producer of music and integration in December 2010, actually relocating to Chicago this past January.
Johnson’s move meanwhile opened up another opportunity–this one for Jessica Dierauer who was promoted from executive content producer to executive producer of music and creative content at Y&R New York.
“I’m indebted to Eric. He taught me a lot,” said Dierauer. “We collaborated on music for my productions here and he was very giving and helpful. It got me thinking about whether I wanted to go over to the agency music production side. As it turns out, when Eric left, he kind of pushed me into his job.”
Asked to share some lessons gleaned from Johnson, Dierauer responded, “To keep an open mind about music and to listen to everything. He also taught me a lot about helping the creatives articulate what they want out of music for each project, how to best collaborate with music labels and music houses.”
Johnson meanwhile sees his role as being a constant learning process as evidenced by how his responsibilities have evolved and grown.
“It’s as much music supervision as it is music production,” he said. There are days when I’m trying to find a great track to license for a project. There are days I’m producing and working with a music house and composer on an original piece.
“Beyond that, though, we’re all looking at the new species that are forming, new forms of content representing new ways to connect with viewers and prospective consumers,” continued Johnson. “How can music advance and help shape those new species? I’m very much interested in the experiential stuff that’s emerging. Music historically has been a jingle, a great licensed piece. Only now is music beginning to realize new ways to be an amazing creative force that can draw in people. How can brands best utilize that power?”
A self-described “music junkie,” Johnson started in the business at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore., taking on an entry-level position upon exiting his post as music supervisor at a Portland radio station.
He built out a music department while functioning as a one-man band at Wieden+Kennedy, also working with its New York and London offices.
Hearkening back to those days, Johnson sees dramatic change having taken root since.
“Once I joined Wieden+Kennedy, I remember calling all the record labels I knew from my radio station experience, asking them if they’d be interested in licensing music for advertising,” related Johnson. “All I got for the most part was outright rejection, one ‘no’ after another–how dramatically that has changed.”
Indeed the change has taken a full 180-degree turn, he observed.
“Now every musician and singer I know is savvy to advertising being a huge marketing platform with the potential to generate amazing exposure and income. Along with that, my role has taken on the need to talent scout, search out new bands and performers for what they can provide in terms of both original and existing tracks.”
After eight-plus years at Wieden+Kennedy came a short-lived entrepreneurial music house start-up followed by a successful two-year tenure for Johnson at Y&R.
Johnson’s work on the agency side spans such brands over the years as Nike, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Honda, Nokia, Target, ESPN, NASCAR, Gatorade, Starbucks, the National Hockey League, LG, Oreo, Land Rover, Bacardi, MTV, Vodaphone and the EA Games account.
At press time, he was in the midst of a creatively ambitious DDB Chicago music project for Bud Light Lime. Earlier he had a hand in a pitch for the Sierra Mist account of which DDB won a piece.
Of the Bud Light Lime work, Johnson noted that the client’s last two campaigns used songs from Kid Sister and Santigold, meaning that there’s a substantive creative music tradition to live up to.
“This year,” he said, “we’re looking to change it up a little bit and go with something probably in the rock/indie-rock world and possibly with a male vocal-led band….The music will be really integral to the spot as it will really drive the commercial since it’s mostly visuals with just a bit of v.o. As always, we want to try and go with something that is up and coming, to help give it a platform for exposure for the artist/band–something that excites us and something that will likely be new to a larger audience.”
Johnson said the selection of music for Bud Light Lime should be sorted out within the next few weeks.
In the overall big picture, Johnson sees “the chance to build something, to be involved in great work and help revitalize DDB Chicago, to add to this agency’s great heritage. We are putting a lot of the right people in place, have a couple of new creative teams, just hired a new chief digital officer [Jonathan Sackett, formerly of The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va.].
“With some time to gestate, these people–under the leadership of Ewan [DDB Chicago chief creative officer Paterson] and Diane [Jackson, executive director of integrated production]–are going to create some tremendously innovative work. I was drawn to the chance to be on the ground floor of something special.”
Jackson noted that Johnson’s role as executive producer of music and creative content is newly created at DDB Chicago.
Johnson’s position, said Jackson, calls for him to “partner with creative teams around the DDB network at the idea generation stage to develop fully integrated concepts and help initiate innovative thinking around the role of music across brand strategy.”
Johnson’s track record includes yet goes well beyond noted commercials, with music supervision over the years on such diverse content as: Nothing But The Truth, Nike SB’s first-ever skateboard movie; Head To Head, a high school football documentary TV series for Cellular South; independent film The Auteur; surf movie Chasing Waves; and the feature-length documentary Helvetica and its follow-up film, Objectified.
Head To Head had an atypical maturation process. Created by Y&R, New York for client Cellular South, the docu-drama series first aired on television throughout Mississippi on the regional Raycom Network in late 2009. The series resonated with audiences throughout the state as it followed two rival Mississippi high school football coaches, their teams, their schools and communities–Wayne County and West Jones–during the course of the’ 09 season.
FSN then picked up the series for national distribution via its various affiliates. Production company on the series from the outset was Moxie Pictures, with directors Dan Levinson and Tim Skousen.
Also unique was MTV EXIT’s public service music video “Planet Better,” which was among Johnson’s last projects during his Y&R New York tenure. “Planet Better” was designed to raise awareness of–and funding to combat–human trafficking.
“Planet Better” earned the number one slot in this spring’s quarterly Top Ten Music Tracks Chart (see separate story for more details).
Additionally, as a DJ and band member, Johnson has performed nationally and internationally, including at such high-profile venues as San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, CMJ Festival 2008, the flux Event at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, MusicfestNW, and Sonar, which is Barcelona’s electronic music festival.
Jessica Dierauer Before succeeding Johnson at Y&R New York, Dierauer had already exhibited substantive music chops.
For example, prior to joining Y&R, Dierauer as senior producer at Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) New York paired bands like The Brazilian Girls with Axe and James Pants with Levi’s.
Later her Y&R credits included licensing three tracks for an LG spot that was a promotional tie-in to the teatrical feature Iron Man 2.
Dierauer also was involved in securing a Rogue Wave track for an LG “Carousel” commercial.
In her new Y&R role, Dierauer is responsible for everything related to music–from licensing tracks and hiring composers, to creating new opportunities throughout the entertainment industry for the agency’s clients.
On the latter growing score, she observed, “The opportunities opening up for music and branding are evolving. So much of what I do entails finding branding opportunities for our clients involving music, engaging brands in the music industry and in live entertainment to help build those brands. What we do involves a lot more than just licensing or producing original music.
“And even then original music can involve much more than in years past, especially if you’re tapping into artists who don’t know how to navigate the advertising business,” continued Dierauer. “You need to connect with talented artists and help them develop and grow.”
Dierauer got her start interning at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland. “I got to put my fingers in a lot of stuff at the broadcast production department,” she recalled.
After a brief detour into the television news business, Dierauer returned to the advertising agency community, joining The Martin Agency in Richmond, Va., as an assistant producer and then climbing up the ladder to duties as an associate producer.
Working with clients like Geico, she became increasingly interested in music for commercials.
Next came a stretch as an associate producer at Kirshenbaum Bond+Partners where Dierauer researched movie soundtracks and began to see that a career was possible in music supervision.
She started to formulate a career game plan, which was to get established as a producer and then perhaps branch out into music.
Dierauer indeed went on to establish herself as a producer, joining Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami, where she moved up the ranks to senior producer. During her three years there, Dierauer got the chance to be more actively involved in music for the commercials she produced.
“I worked with and learned a great deal from Bill Meadows [Crispin’s VP/executive integrated producer: music and celebrity talent]. He was generous with his time and help.”
It was when she landed at BBH New York, which had no music producers, that Dierauer took on more music responsibilities as reflected in the aforementioned Levi’s and Axe advertising assignments.
“Levi’s culturally has such an important music history,” noted Dierauer. “I didn’t want to go a stock music route with them yet we had a challenged budget. James Pants was just getting hot, and bringing the two together made for a great match at the right time.”
After BBH, Dierauer came aboard Y&R. As alluded to, her duties as executive content producer had her at times involved integrally in music, collaborating with Johnson.
And last year, she produced Y&R’s ambitious music seminar at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, which featured influential musicians Trevor Horn and Thomas Dolby, and New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones.
In her expanded role at Y&R N.Y., Dierauer reports to Lora Schulson and Nathy Aviram, co-executive directors of content production.
“As music and brands continue to become more closely aligned, this creates a stronger need for musical specialists within an advertising agency,” said Jane Barratt, president of Y&R New York. “Music has always been one of Jessica’s favorite parts of the production process….Her strong connections in the music, entertainment and production industries will no doubt bring great opportunities to current and potential clients.”
