Jae Who
Art Director / Co-Founder of Spinnenweber X Who
New York
www.jaewho.com
www.spinnenweberxwho.com
instagram @jaewho / @spinnenweberxwho
Q What do you do?
“I am a Hong Kong born and raised art director working in NY and co-founder of Spinnenweber x Who”
Currently, I work with clients to create conceptual advertising campaigns, which include TV spots, billboards, activations, etc. My day to day workflow. Find insights, build a strategy, then land some concepts, write scripts, design, and get them into production quickly.
Some clients I have worked with include Il Makiage, Pantone, Adobe, Google, Xfinity x Olympics and Etsy.
When I am not at work, I am a fine art photographer alongside my partner John Spinnenweber on our photography brand. "
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
1. Consistency
I set attainable small goals to focus on, that lead me to the ultimate goal. As boring as those small goals can be, I stay on track.
When I first graduated, I had 90 days to get a job or I’d be kicked out of the country due to my visa. So I set the goal of sending 150 cold emails to people within the industry per day.
Eventually, my email account ended up getting suspended for “suspicious activities”. It was brutal trying to get the email account back but I found a way. I created a new email account to spam Google until they unlocked my original account.
It paid off and I am still working and living in NY.
2. Hard Work
The harder you work the luckier you are, and the more opportunities come your way.
3. Nothing into Something
Opportunity is everywhere, it’s completely up to you to connect the dots and turn nothing into something.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
While growing up in Hong Kong, I was fortunately exposed to American music which piqued my interest in western culture’s non-traditional forward thinking. The understanding of both eastern and western cultures allow me to find unique human insights which makes me stand out.
I am also known for my eye and level of polish.
Q What are you working on right now?
Things move very quickly in our field and I usually only talk about my projects publicly when things are set in stone.
But one of the bigger projects I am working on right now is a holiday campaign for this brand. The 4 TV spots and billboards will be launching in the UK and US. We have just finished writing the scripts and production will start soon. Very excited.
Q What’s your style?
Most of my work consists of three things:
1. High contrast
2. Unapologetic Tone
3. Polished Craft
My conceptual photography for Spinnenweber X Who is a good example of using high contrast to create tension between the subjects. These images showcase culturally relevant societal issues with an unapologetic attitude.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I am very happy right now with how far I have come. But I still have so much more to accomplish. Right now, my complete focus is on the conceptual integrity of all my work. Scripts, art direction and production.
I would focus more on photography. Specifically the work that I create for Spinnenweber x Who. I am pushing myself everyday to capture an attitude.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Instagram. Why are there so many fucking ads???
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I’d pay someone $20/hour to digest the latest news and give me a 15-second summary every morning, that'd be sick.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
21, when I started to diverge from only conceptual advertising and pushed myself to be taken seriously as an artist too.
I would have told myself:
”Everyone is so busy with their own bullshit. So do whatever you want anyway because honestly, no one cares.”
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Productivity.
I am incredibly curious on how certain people can maximize the same 24 hours that we all have. They seem to be able to pack so much within a day. Articles about the daily routines of Virgil, Tom Ford, Anna Wintour, Rihanna, Zendaya… I have read them all.
How many projects do they usually take up at once? How do they manage their time? How do they have a healthy work-life balance? Do they have clones? Or are they actually aliens who have infinite energy?
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am looking for clients that are unapologetic and have a strong reputation. Brands that have history but still want to make a good impact on this world right now. Projects that let me flex my robust visual design skillset.
Brands I’d love to work with include Nike, Playboy, Fenty, Yves Saint Laurent, Netflix.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
It’s always fun working with clients who have an appreciation for creativity. But most importantly, having trust in what I bring to the table and being open minded is the key to a good collaboration. It is totally understandable for clients to be cautious. But once trust is established, the possibility for great work is endless.
Q What is your rate?
I charge by project rather than hourly, depending on the client’s ask. My services include conceptual advertising, photography and branding.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
DM me at @jaewho or send me an email contact@jaewho.com !
Q Who is a creative you admire?
There are so many great creatives in this world. Here are some whom I believe every creative should take a deep dive into and study not just their work but their ethos:
Visuals:
1. Bardia Zeinali
Film director. Every single piece of his work is iconic and beautifully executed. I would love to work with him some day.
@bardiazeinali
2. Brian Collins
Legendary designer.
@thisiscollins
3. Violaine & Jérémy
Type gods.
@violaineetjeremy
Books:
1. Hey Whipple Squeeze This - Luke Sullivan
Learn ways to concept and ideate. A breakdown on why certain campaigns are successful.
Luke also happened to be my professor as well and he did not pay me to say this.
2. Insert Complicated Title Here - Virgil Abloh
Cheat codes for young creatives.
3.The ISMs - Larry Warsh
Bite size nuggets to dive into famous creatives’ brains.
Must-watches:
1. The Pixar Story - Netflix Documentary
Honestly, any Pixar / Disney documentaries are fascinating to watch. Their level of attention to details in terms of art direction and passion is unmatched. I would not say I am particularly a Disney fan, but I am a huge fan of the creatives behind the scenes.
2. Goodby and Silverstein - Master Class
Their take on conceptual work, partnership and their history with advertising is refreshing.
3. The Devil Wears Prada
Useful as a motivational reminder to work towards the thing you want.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Surrounding myself with motivated people.
This member profile was originally published in August 2022.