SOULD

Mathias Jahn | Copy, Strategy & Creative Direction

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Once upon a time in the nineties

To whom it may concern (old men with old cars, mostly...): Nothing used to be better in the past - except the car adverts, perhaps. An informative and fun interview with Lukas Aaron Hambrecht and Christian Steiger @Oldtimer Markt (issue 05/25), photos by Hardy Mutschler. Thanks for that!

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Mathias Jahn

Texter, Kreativdirektor, Markenversteher und Problemlöser. Spezialisiert darauf, komplexe Themen verständlich zu machen. 11 Jahre Jung von Matt, 6 Jahre internationale Networkagenturen, 8 Jahre Freelancer, 4 Jahre eigene Agentur, ADC-Mitglied seit 1997, über 100 nationale und internationale Auszeichnungen.

Copywriter, creative director, brand expert and problem solver. Specialised in turning complex topics to understandable features. 11 years with Jung von Matt, 6 years with international network agencies, 8 years as a freelancer, 4 years with his own agency, ADC member since 1997, over 100 national and international awards.

Agencies: Jung von Matt, Hamburg: Creative Director, Managing Director Foote, Cone & Belding, Hamburg (later: Draft): Chief Creative Officer Heye Group (DDB), München: Chief Creative Officer SOULD, Hamburg: Founder, Creative Director Freelance work for: Jung von Matt, Hamburg Grabarz & Partner, Hamburg TLGG, Berlin KISKA, Salzburg Chromedia, München Becker Consulting, Hamburg Bright, Cute & Keen, Zürich Drehmoment, Hamburg

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#adcjury2025

Talking about other peoples work is always difficult: whether live during the development process in a team – or later, being part of a jury supposed to judge the quality of submitted work (here: Art Directors Club Jury 17 / Copy, Content, Storytelling). And yet we discovered impressive examples of outstanding communication (and only some of them are still old school ‘advertising’ at all). Decide for yourself by scrolling through the shortlist 2025...

ADC Shortlist 2025 | Art Directors Club für Deutschland – ADC

Winners presented by HORIZONT:

Kreativwettbewerb: Das sind die Gewinner beim ADC Germany 2025 - HORIZONT

Der wichtigste deutsche Kreativwettbewerb hat seine diesjährigen Gewinner bekannt gegeben. Insgesamt 362-mal Edelmetall plus fünf Grand Prix

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Clients & Projects

Working directly with clients or through various agencies. since 2020:

antibeige gallery Baufeld Calla Mode Deutsche Bahn DMT Group FC Bayern München Fricke Gerd Schüler Granit Initiative Zukunft Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt Jaguar Landrover Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Niederlassungen Porsche Possehl Gruppe Puraglobe Rytle Schwarz IT Siemens Sonova travekom (Smart City Solutions) Würth Elektronik

before 2020: Automotive: Audi Autoscout 24 BMW BMW Motorsport Chromjuwelen Continental Daimler CASE Gestalten Verlag  Mercedes-Benz  Mini Porsche Sixt Volkswagen Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge

Technology: Bosch Crop Energies D2 Mannesmann Mobilfunk DEA Mineralöl AG Deutsche Bahn DMT Group Emotionum Fricke HiJob Minolta Cameras Minolta Office Equipment Puraglobe Quam Mobilfunk

Architecture & Design: antibeige gallery Stephen Williams Architects

Media: Berliner Morgenpost Blunck & Will Musikproduktion Computer BILD Computer BILD Spiele Drivetribe .com  freundin magazin Hermann Vaske’s Emotional Network  n-tv Süddeutsche Zeitung Wirtschaftswoche

Financial Services: Audi Leasing Berliner Volksbank  Sparkasse targobank telerent Vereinte Versicherungen

Food & Beverages: Adelholzener Mineralwasser Astra Pilsener Benson & Hedges Camel Cigarettes Ehrmann Jever Pilsener Kraft Lindt McDonalds Wagner Pizza

Lifestyle: FC Bayern München Fielmann fortuneCity.com  Weight Watchers Retail & FMCG: Camel active K&L Ruppert Nivea Nivea for Men SC Johnson van Laack

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If this is woke, my dentist is a communist.

Sometimes something spectacular happens in marketing: Jaguar's current appearance, for example. Brands like to brief agencies with the sentence ‘We want to be “talk of the town” - in this case, they have probably managed to become “talk of the planet” (at least among those interested in cars). Here my two cents about it:

English version German version

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The Other Part of Work

"there’s a saying: the bartender is his own best customer. but in design, it tends to be the other way around: when you work for yourself, you often get to know a very demanding client." My wife is in the interior business, owning gallery 'antibeige'. Often I'm just her marketing guy (and she's the client). But when designing our own home, we were both designer and client at the same time. Yes, it can be annoying - but the result was worth it (IMHO). Take a look here, if interested...

And while we're at it - we've already received some great feedback: 1 / femtastics.com:

2 / The Frankfurter Magazine:

3 / Schöner Wohnen Magazine:

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Always a Pleasure

When working with an agency that works for Porsche, part of the work is of course a pleasure. Unfortunately, the first part is usually covered by a non-disclosure agreement - but here are a few pictures of the fun part.

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Nothing to see, here!

Consulting is a confidential business: Most of the time we can’t show our work for clients or our contributions to agencies presentations. So, if you’re searching for knowledge in a certain area, just ask personally: [email protected].

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Unboxing a 'Life at the Limit'

Endlich fertig: Gerd Schüler‘s Biografie-Bildband-Coffeetablebook. With a little help by yours truly: Mein Beitrag lag irgendwo zwischen Korrektur lesen und ghostwriting ;-).

Es ist das Buch einer Ära. Die Biografie von Gerd Schüler umspannt acht Jahrzehnte: Vom Nachkriegs-Trümmerkind zum Rennfahrer, vom Discokönig zum Unternehmensberater. Mittendrin: die Golden Years des "Nightclubbing". Mit dem "Dorian Gray" im Frankfurter Flughafen machten Schüler und sein Partner Michael Presinger das "Ausgehen" zur ekstatischen Erfahrung und ihren Club zum Mythos. Immer galt für ihn die Maxime "Höher-schneller-weiter-besser-mehr" – und so ist auch sein Buch.

Die persönlichen Erinnerungen an ein Leben auf der Überholspur sind zugleich eine außergewöhnliche Zeitreise durch das 20. Jahrhundert. Schüler präsentiert mit 80 Jahren einen fulminanten Bildband über sein Leben, der zugleich Familienalbum, Sittengemälde und ein unerschöpflicher Fundus für Stil- und Style-Interessierte ist. Zusammen mit Freunden und Wegbegleitern sowie einem engagierten Team von Künstlern und Spezialisten aus den Bereichen Fotografie und Text, Design und Druck, Malerei und Marketing entstand in jahrelanger Arbeit ein Bilderbuch der Superlative. Dieses limitierte "Very Important Book" (VIB) wird individuell für den Besteller angefertigt und signiert, dazu gibt's einen vergoldeten Dorian-Gray-Schlüsselanhänger. Mehr Mythos geht nicht. https://einlebenamlimit.de

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ADC Festival 2024 – ADC Choices

It's a wrap: ADC jury 2024 is done. Close to 10.000 pieces of work, around 400 jurors in 30 juries. I was really impressed this year with the wide variety of communication – regarding technology, ideas, cases + causes. Feel free to roam through all the work, sort it by category, client or agency. There's always something to learn… Here are some insights into two of my favourites – unfortunately only one won (click above!) But have a look also at my colleagues choices, it's interesting to get some first hand thoughts about award-winning creativity. CU, ɱ

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GET INTO MAGIC

A really "colourful" life - that's what I thought when I first read Gerd Schüler's as yet unpublished biography. I had met him at an event at Frankfurt's "MOMEM" (Museum of Electronic Music) and thanked him for founding DORIAN GRAY. His club at Frankfurt Airport was at the centre of the 80's club scene and therefore also of my student life. How it all came about, how a racing driver became a disco king and what that had to do with the birth of "techno" in Frankfurt is all in his book "A Life at the Limit", which I am honored to have worked on as a copywriter. Gerd Schüler has made himself the best birthday present ever - congratulations!

Ein Leben am Limit - Gerd Schüler

Get Into Magic | Programm

Get Into Magic | Programm

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OK, here we go again, diesmal in der "Copy"-Jury. Ich freu' mich drauf – und bin sehr gespannt, ob ChatGPT seinen ersten Nagel gewinnt… #adcfestival, 04.-07.06.2024 in Hamburg 👉 https://www.adc.de/events/adc-festival-2024/

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Oldschool Copywriting

Very nice: Ein fast einstündiger Video-Podcast von und mit Hamburger Porsche-Fan und Sportwagenhändler Benjamin David über die Porsche-Werbung der 90er – die ich als sehr junger Texter bei Jung von Matt drei Jahre lang machen durfte.

Und übrigens: Das war ich nicht alles alleine! Die Spitzenheadline „Unabhängig“ z.B. war von @ralf.zilligen, das „Familienauto“ von @jeanremymatt persönlich. Die fantastische Optik stammte von @denekevonweltzien, die wahnwitzigen Fotos von @uweduettmann.

Company: Benjamin David Finest Sportscars https://lnkd.in/e9AkiaAC Producer: Ben Hartenstein https://lnkd.in/e-RJE668

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MAKING ZUKUNST

An example of copywriting for a very special exhibition: "Market Makers" by Berliner Volksbank and Stiftung Kunstforum, presenting digital art. Developing Linked-In-posts for the company, their C-Level-executives, the exhibition partners, employees and many more, including press releases and a text pool to pick from.

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Living The Future

For our own design gallery antibeige we developed content about a historic piece of microarchitecture: the BANGA. Developed by italian inventor and designer Carlo Zappa it was part of the "tiny house" trend in the 60's & 70's. We're telling the story about the design process plus there's also the possibility to rent a BANGA on a Berlin rooftop and we offer two BANGAs fully restored in cooperation with scarchitekten, Berlin. Find out more about the story on antibeige.de. #architecture #design #interiordesign #carlozappa

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The E-Book

Produced in 2018 'The Current’ is still on sale (and highly recommended for design-, EV- and bike-fans). This year I found it at the new CAKE store in Paris (they produce the bike on the books’ cover). We contributed around 50 texts to this wonderful book about two-, three- and four-wheeled vehicles for the "post-petrol era". Read more about it in our Medium blog entry:

https://medium.com/@mathiasjahn/fun-is-all-you-need-fc500f5e77f1 It seems you can buy it at sodabooks.com in Munich – or order it online at https://gestalten.com/collections/new-releases/products/the-current

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Tech Talk

Advertorials are often unjustly stuck in a grey area of communication: if they are well done, they can be more informative than classic advertising. And if they are properly labelled as "advertorials", the reader also knows that he is reading the view of the sender - i.e. the company. Nevertheless, the facts have to be right, because if there is one thing we have learned in recent years and decades: A shitstorm quickly arises and can be very damaging to a company's image. Here's our latest copy for client PURAGLOBE:

And don't miss the video (done by TBD Media):