Jayanta Jenkins, Vice President of Creative at Starbucks, Is Enjoying The Journey
The legendary creative leader, inspired by Prince, has never been deterred by failure.
Jayanta Jenkins is in the middle of something.
What? I can’t quite tell. But he’s on the move, hustling and bustling — but still making time to talk about how he got into this career field: “by accident.”
It takes him a second to follow up on this rather insightful short nugget of information before expanding. “I love culture,” he says. “I love entertainment. I love storytelling.”
Jenkins is many things, to many people. To everyone though, he’s a legend in an advertising industry where people typically flame out after 7-10 years and look for success somewhere else. Jenkins has been defining culture for more than twenty years for some of the world’s most esteemed brands such as Disney, Twitter, Apple, and Samsung. Now, he’s brought his talents to Starbucks as its Vice President of Creative.
But let’s take it back a bit. Before the accolades, before co-founding Saturday Morning — an organization that addresses racial inequities in the advertising industry that he kicked off in 2016.
Back in the day, Jenkins was a student at the Miami Ad School where he’d learn the lay of the land in advertising. In 1996, he’d take his talents to the Martin Agency, where he’d spend nearly four years getting his feet wet as a creative.
Next, he’d spend seven years at Wieden + Kennedy where he co-created the launch of Nike Shox and helped introduce the world to LeBron James with “The Lebrons” campaign. Jenkins then went to become a Global Creative Director at TBWA/Chiat/Day where he co-lead team efforts for Gatorade’s rebranding.
These are just a few broad strokes in Jenkins’ narrative. I’ll give you a few more. He’s been Global Executive Creative Director at Samsung and Twitter. Head of Content Marketing at Disney, Head of Brand and Creative at Virgin Galactic. Several Cannes Lions awards (including the Grand Prix) have touched his fingers. And announcers at the One Show, D&AD, and Clio awards all have had his name on their tongues. There are only so many ways that I can reiterate that this guy is the real deal.
Just know he’s had the career we all want. He’s kicked ass and still taking names.
What’s his magic sauce? Jenkins says it’s been not succeeding. “I've failed a ton and all of those experiences — falling and getting up and learning from my mistakes — is probably a bit of what has positioned me to towards this opportunity,” he says of his new role at Starbucks. There’s no doubt that he’ll succeed there. And if you’ve read the previous 419 words on this page, you’ll see why.
Here’s Jenkins on getting into the industry, co-founding Saturday Morning, Prince giving him chills, and more.
You began your career as an art director at the Martin Agency in 1996. But who were you before then? How did you get into the field?
By accident. I love culture. I love entertainment. I love storytelling. And my inherent passions led me to a marketing profession, but there wasn't a straight line to this industry. It wasn’t like I had a father in advertising, or I lived in New York where there’s this mythology of Mad Men and Madison Avenue.
Back then, there weren't any big companies that were leading the world like Nike or even Kellogg's for that matter. Commercials to me, as a kid, were where cool jingles happened, but I didn't know there was a set of individuals that did these things and could inform the hearts and minds of people to make buying decisions or just fall in love with a particular product or company.
You went to the Martin Agency after Miami Ad School. What was the first things you learned on the job that you didn’t learn in school?
Leadership and management skills. All the soft skills, you know?
You've been a part of so many huge cultural moments and creative teams. Out of everything, what would you say has been the most impactful moment of your career so far? It doesn’t have to be work-related.
The first Prince concert I attended changed my life. I saw an entertainer in 1988 who was, for me, at the top of his craft. He was inspiring thousands of people through storytelling, and his music brought everyone watching the show together. It had such a profound effect on me.
Which agency or company stint do you think taught you the most as a creative, and how did those lessons shape your career?
I think Starbucks is going to be that place and it's unfolding in real time. I'm only three weeks in and already feel a sense of belonging, connection to the purpose and appreciate the culture here. It’s a special company.
When's the last time that you got chills as a creative?
Being in the room when my son was born and holding him in his first moments in the world, that gave me immediate chills. That act of God and creative moment, it profoundly changed my life.
Could you tell me about co-founding Saturday Morning? What was the inspiration behind it and how have you successfully achieved the company's goals in the past seven years?
You know, I think all of us who come from marginalized backgrounds have a shared experience of living in a country where opportunities aren't always presented to us in the way that they are to the majority. I think beyond that, we also live in a system that oppresses people of color.
Being able to join forces with my co-founders on Saturday morning and use our marketing expertise to really shine a light on celebrating our similarities and working with big brands that want do that type of work to bring us all together, to give all voices an opportunity to inspire each other, that’s pretty much at the center of what's kept Saturday Morning going.
The fact that we're not just doing advertising, we're doing things that stretch beyond the paradigm of marketing, is very important in terms of affecting culture.
What do you think the future holds for Saturday Morning?
To continue to invest in the community and be a part of organizations that want to put our stories in the world in a way that's meaningful and purposeful. We also want to be a conduit for young folks. You asked me how I got into the business and said “by accident.” I would love for when that question’s asked to the next person in an interview like this, they would say “I was affected by a program that I engaged in with named Saturday Morning.”
I wanted to ask you about the industry and diversity. I'm sure you know in the time that you've been here, you've seen how diversity initiatives have probably come and gone. Based on your work with Saturday Morning, how effective do you think this current push for diversity is in the industry?
I think that there's a lot of good happening. When I got into the business in the late nineties, there were very few African American people in general market agencies that were shining the light and creating a path for us in the future. That’s become a much larger path and, now, so many more doors have opened up. I love it.
How did you become the Vice President of Creative at Starbucks?
I am a very fortunate individual that has had a varied amount of high visibility experiences and failed a lot. Seriously. I've failed a ton and all of those experiences — falling and getting up and learning from my mistakes — is probably a bit of what has positioned me to towards this opportunity. Beyond that, I've always been someone that puts purpose and community at the center of the things that I do. And Starbucks is that — it is community and purpose driven in a way that transcends any brand I have been. I think the culture, the people, the product and reach — it's just unparalleled.
What would you say is the biggest lesson that you learned from your biggest failure?
Keep getting up. Stay resilient. Get out of your own way. Be accountable, have empathy, and listen, that's the big one. At the end of that sentence, listen. Be a great listener.
Based on everything that you've been through so far, what's one piece of advice that you’d give aspiring creatives who want to climb the ranks?
The journey is the destination. Enjoy the journey. It's not going to just be about going up, up, up all the time. There will be ups. There’s also going to be downs. That’s life. Enjoy the journey no matter what, no matter how difficult, because those moments are just as informative as the wins. And above all else, be kind to yourself and have self trust.