9 questions with Advertising Silver Medal Award Winner – Lee James

Last Thursday, Theckla Pope (President of the Charlotte chapter of the American Adevertising Federation) handed out the AAF Silver Medal award to Lee James during a delightful luncheon at Bonterra.

Side note: here’s a quick look at Charlotte’s new AAF leadership team:

The AAF Silver Medal Award goes to an individual that has shown a commitment to creative, community, advertising and their ad agency.

Lee James purchased Mythic along with partner David Soliday in 2012 and since then have grown the agency. Clients include: Ally Financial, UnitedHealthcare, SunTrust, TIAA-CREF, Maaco, Meineke and Crescent Communities. The Mythic team has also worked on campaigns with local non-profits like 7th Street Market, Charlotte Ballet, Autism Charlotte and more. Congrats Lee, well deserved.

Want to learn more about Lee? I did too. So we asked him 9 quick questions.

(1) What was your first job out of school and what did you learn?

I totally lucked out getting my first job as an Art Director at WestWayne (22squared). I wasn’t really sure what I was even interviewing for. I got thrown into the deep end of the pool – day 1, and had to figure it out – a well-honed skill I have used every day since.

(2) Favorite campaign you’ve ever worked on and why?

Bank of America Mortgage and Credit Card. Really smart clients that let us do what we were really good at. I love that kind of relationship. It’s also where I met my business partner, David Soliday.

(3) Advice to young people trying to break into the advertising industry?

Internships are great, and any chance you get to work on a well-known brand (even sitting in on meetings) is really important. My resume criteria is first and foremost what brands have you worked on. You will also learn very quickly that selling an idea is as important as coming up with one. Finding your voice is as important as finding your creativity.

(4) What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Very buttery scrambled eggs and a vanilla rice milk latte. 7 days a week.

(5) What’s the one gadget or app you can’t live without?

Bluetooth in my car – eliminates most of the temptation to text and drive.

(6) Other than your office, which spaces/locations do you go to in Charlotte to be creative?

Lunch is my favorite meeting of the day and Halcyon is one of the most visually inspiring places to talk creative with clients, team members and recruits.

(7) How would you compare Charlotte’s advertising scene to Atlanta’s advertising scene?

Very similar in quality. Atlanta is obviously much larger and there are more holding company outposts there.

(8) What’s your favorite restaurant in Charlotte and what’s your go-to order at that restaurant?

Good Food on Montford – Mussels – always.

(9) Outside of the advertising world, which two Charlotte people and which two Charlotte businesses do you think are the most creative?

• John Boyer at the Bechtler. He has given voice to Modern Art in Charlotte and the region.
• Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux at the Charlotte Ballet. He is an Icon in the dance world who inspires young talent every day and has brought an incredible product to our city. If you haven’t been to a performance – go.