C-Suite Speaker, Jason Harris: Makes Stories, Not Ads

Jason Harris, ’93, believes in the power of a story. As president and CEO of the award-winning advertising agency Mekanism, Harris strives to lead his team in building brand loyalty by engaging audiences through innovative storytelling.

The next speaker in JMU’s College of Business (CoB) C-Suite Speaker Series, Harris will share his strategies for success through his presentation, “Make Stories, Not Ads.” The event will take place Thursday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Festival Conference and Student Center, Ballroom B. A reception will follow the presentation in Ballroom C.

A graduate of the College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Harris joined Mekanism in 2006. The agency created the award-winning White House ad campaign, “It’s On Us,” to end sexual assault. Other clients include Alaska Airlines, Starbucks, Pepsi, The North Face, Amazon.com, Miller Coors and many more.

Under his leadership, Mekanism has won numerous awards, including Effie, Addy and Webby honors, and has twice been named as “Small Agency of the Year” by Advertising Age. Mekanism also has been named to Advertising Age’s "Agency A-List," and to Creativity’s "Creative 50." Harris has been profiled by the New York Times, Fast Company and ABC’s “Nightline.” His methods have been the subject of case studies at Harvard Business School.

Harris ranks 5th on PVBLIC Foundation’s "Top 10 Most Influential Media" and Communications "Executives of 2015" - a ranking that recognizes industry leaders for “putting their skills to work for the United Nations’ sustainable development goals list.”

Following the success of the “It’s On Us,” campaign, Harris now serves as the creative leader behind The Most Important Campaign (MIC). The 15-year global communications strategy for the United Nations is focused on implementing the organization’s Sustainable Development Goals to engage and compel global citizens to take action to make the world a better place.

Harris serves on the board of directors for Advertising Week and the United Nations Social Impact Leadership Council. Harris has been a judge for the Effies, D&AD Impact, the Webbys, the Mashies and the Streamys. Prior to joining Mekanism, Harris was president and executive producer for Plan C, Inc. He also has worked for ad agencies Leagas Delaney and TBWA.

The JMU College of Business C-Suite Speaker Series brings corporate executives to campus each semester to share their experiences and wisdom with our students.