5 Minutes with… Steve Persico
Within the ad industry, it’s pretty rare that you encounter someone who spends their whole working career at a single institution. After all, jumping around is often a faster way to climb, and the desire to fast-track that sense of progression is understandable.
However, when someone does choose loyalty above all else, they become iconic – a name synonymous with the company for which they work. Case in point, Steve Persico of Leo Burnett Toronto. Having been there for 19 years, he’s ascended every step of the ladder, working his way up from an unpaid intern to the role of co-chief creative officer and member of the Global Product Committee. In that time, his passion for creativity in all forms has helped the agency earn its esteemed reputation – something that’s come to the fore with the host of awards and accomplishments he has to his name.
Nevertheless, Steve is still hungry for more. He’s still chasing a second piece of work that he can call his ‘most significant ad’ – something he talks more about below. He also holds the same drive to create world-class work that helped him land a full-time position all those years ago. The difference is, now he’s in the driver’s seat, and, as such, he’s making good on the opportunity to influence and inspire the host of young creatives who now find themselves working at Leo Burnett.
To learn more about all of this and discuss the career trajectory which led him to such an extraordinary position, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Steve for a chat.
LBB> From the top, how did you get started in advertising? Tell us your story!
Steve> I was studying sociology and communications at York University. I had no real goal or idea of what career I could have or wanted, but I enjoyed my elective film courses and the general study of human behaviour. In one class, I overheard someone talking about an advertising program at Seneca College, and it sounded exciting to me. I applied and got in a year later.
It was the first time school didn’t feel like school for me. Within the first week, a teacher shared a The One Show annual and it only took me a few page turns before I was hooked. I loved it. The writing, visuals, ideas… I hadn’t seen advertising like that before. I wish more of what we put out in the world was like the 1% that gets honoured in awards shows.
LBB> Notably, in an industry that’s known for having people jump ship fairly frequently, you’ve been at Leo Burnett your entire career. What makes the agency the right home for you?
Steve> I get asked this question all the time! It comes down to two things: the people, and the opportunity to do great work.
I was lucky. From day one, I had the very best creative people to learn from. They let me be crazy and wrong and different. They expected that of me. And my creative partner, creative leaders and global creative director made it dead clear and simple: ‘please, do everything you can to make the very best work in the world’. We all believed the work was all that mattered, and I thrived in that single-mindedness. We’ve always had great people, great brands and great ambitions at Leo. That beats a cool office, fancy title or a little more money to me.
LBB> Building on this, you’re at almost your 20-year working milestone! How have things changed since you got started, both at Leo and within the business as a whole? And how have you kept the experience fresh and exciting?
Steve> I just celebrated 19 years. I’ve been here since some of our junior people were two or three years old. I was writing long copy newspaper ads before they had teeth! So much has changed – it has all changed.
It all comes down to speed. Technology has sped up how we communicate, how we produce, how we go to market, how we get our food for lunch, and how we create relationships and bail on relationships. The one thing that’s been lost in all of this is craft. Craft takes time. Time to be wrong, to be silly, to walk away, to go for one more idea or headline or layout. The human ability to create something novel and special hasn’t caught up to the industry’s need for speed.
To answer the second question, it has never gotten dull or old for me. The hunt for a great idea always keeps me going. I still try to stick to the agency values and principles I loved when I started. I liked leaders who cared about the work, cared about the people, and never forgot those are the best two parts.
LBB> As someone who has worked his way up the ranks of the agency, what are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned? And how do they inform the CCO that you are today?
Steve> This may sound harsh, but it’s proven true. There are two types of people in every agency: those who can be replaced, and those who the agency will do everything and anything to keep, and keep happy. Both are valuable. But only the second will eventually get the raises, titles and opportunities.
Pretty early on, I realised my CCO (Judy John) cared about making world-class work, and I realised our global CCO (Mark Tutssel) cared about making world-class work. So, duh, that’s what I focused on. Every brief, every day, night and weekend, I tried to make sure I showed them world-class work – for a brand campaign or an internal email. From that day forward, they saw me as someone to keep and keep happy and invest in.
Today, I try to have that same outlook and make it clear I have two expectations. The first is ‘don’t be an asshole’, and the second is ‘go for world-class every chance you get’. I’m here to help people do their very best work. If you are also here to do that, it’s going to be a fun and successful time.
I guess what I’m saying is, know what those leading you want from you and focus on that.
LBB> With that in mind, what are some of the most significant projects you’ve worked on in your career? How do they reflect your creative style?
Steve> I don’t remember 99% of the work I’ve made. But two stick out as the ones that changed my career and my life.
One. As an intern, a writer quit and without anyone asking, I joined up with the AD and together we wrote and art directed a series of Kellogg’s ads. They won some awards, but that’s not the point. I was an intern. Nobody knew I even existed. By taking initiative and writing hundreds (not an exaggeration) of headlines, it made Judy notice me. I can picture the moment she stopped in the hall to say, ‘I saw your lines, I really like one’. Then she handed back the six pages of typed lines and one had a black check mark beside it. Heck yeah! That hustle made me an official partner to Anthony Chelvanathan, and was the start of me turning an unpaid internship into a $28,000 job.
Two. I haven’t created my second most significant ad. And that keeps me going.
LBB> You’re also a member of Leo Burnett’s Global Product Committee. How did you get involved with this, and why is it a point of passion for you?
Steve> Anthony and I entered a young creative award show. We won. They sent us to Miami to be part of the show. There, we met Mark Tutssel, our global CCO. After taking an awkward photo with him, he immediately went into nurture mode. Not long after, he and Judy started flying us around the world to GPC events. We were kids in a room with seasoned CDs from agencies around the world. We learned how to talk about work, defend work, and were exposed to thinking from other cultures. For 19 years, the GPC has been my creative director school. Without that opportunity, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.
LBB> Stepping outside of the agency, you’re a regular fixture in judging panels around the world. Is this a favourite pastime of yours? And what constitutes great advertising in your eyes?
Steve> It’s actually not a favourite pastime. I’d rather be making new work than looking at work already made.
Saying that, it’s always an honour and I take it seriously. Great advertising is hard to describe. I often say great advertising says something interesting in an interesting way. Truth is, you just feel it when you see it.
LBB> Building on this, where do you think Canada’s place is within the international advertising scene? How are we holding up compared to the rest of the world?
Steve> If we name the 100 greatest Canadian ads, they won’t involve a celebrity or a million balls bouncing down a San Francisco hill. They won’t be expensive or controversial. We’re at our best when we’re simple, smart, playful and true. I think we’re flying pretty high right now. Canadian creativity is living through many strong, creative-led, independent shops, as well as many great, iconic agencies who still put creativity first.
LBB> You’re also on the Miami Ad School Toronto board. How did you get involved with the institution, and why is this a role you’re passionate about?
Steve> I don’t exactly remember how. It was through Stephen Jurisic and the MAS team. I’ve done a few talks and taught a course, but haven’t done much more.
That said, I’ll never forget the creatives who took the time (and those who didn’t) to help me build my portfolio as a student. I want to help others have that same experience.
LBB> Considering this fact, is there any advice you’d give juniors and people studying to get into the industry? What do you think more people should know?
- Work hard on the work.
- Work harder on the work.
- Work hardest on the work.
- Enjoy the ups. Ignore the downs.
- Make yourself indispensable to your leaders.
- Have fun. This industry is fun.
- Don’t follow ‘the rules’ too closely.
LBB> Finally, work isn’t everything. What do you like to do outside the office, and what helps you de-stress after a long day?
Steve> The gym before the workday starts is my therapy. Clearly, I’m not doing it for the biceps (they just won’t grow)! On top of that; Friday soccer, woodworking, travel, good food, boxing, gardening, writing personal projects, and date nights with my partner help maintain my sanity and balance. But the number one thing is wrestling Homer, my dog, until one of us is panting and foaming from the mouth.
