Smith & Western is giving away six packs of Hawke’s Lager to the first 10 listeners posting a 5-star podcast review. Because it’s international beer day on the day the new podcast was released – August 3.
And in this latest episode of The Creative Relay, Barbara Humphries talks to Hawke’s Brewing co-founders and former Droga 5 creative directors, Nathan Lennon and Dave Gibson.
The podcast recorded at Smith & Western’s podcast studio reveals how the two career creatives took the bold leap to launch their lager in 2017. So it’s essential listening to any budding entrepreneur. And it gives a fascinating insight into how the duo’s advertising career prepared them to start their own business.
“I think this industry gives you a very good grounding. If we hadn’t worked in advertising I don’t think we would have had the confidence or the problem-solving skills to deal with the last year,” Gibson commented.
Lennon added, “I think advertising instilled an armour around us – and creative teams will understand how important it is to have someone there in the trenches when things are tough.”
Lennon and Gibson also share their perspective on the impact that working at Droga 5 New York played in their company’s gestation and divulge how their priorities have changed along with their roles.
“If we could get bottle shops to accept stickers under our six-packs, that’s the equivalent of us winning a Gold Lion at Cannes right now,” Lennon stated.
“That reminds me – you can get a six pack at any Vintage Cellars for $19.99!,” Gibson noted.
Host, Paul Dunne, commented, “In agencies, we’re surrounded by others with the same tenacity and resilience – so we tend to take these skills for granted. What Dave and Nathan demonstrated to me was how valuable and special those characteristics are – in advertising and beyond.”
Dan Higson is excited to produce the first episode featuring agency creatives who have launched their own brand. “When Barb suggested the boys for her follow-up episode, we were over the moon. We knew it would be great to hear how they’ve handled the transition from agency creatives to business founders.”
This episode, along with earlier podcasts, is available now on iTunes or at thecreativerelay.com. The next episode featuring Nathan and David interviewing the creative of their choice is scheduled for late August.
