From Hype Beast and Hype Radio, I am Jeff Staples, and this is the business of hype, a show about creative entrepreneurs, brand builders, innovators, and the realities behind the dreams they've built.

Hey, what's up? This is the second episode in a two-part series with the one and only Mr. John Jay.

If you have not listened to the first episode, I now hear forth demand that you do so.

It has way too many gems for you to miss out on.

And quite honestly, half this episode won't make any sense without listening to the first one.

So in the last episode, we heard about his role at Bloomingdale's.

We heard about Widen and Kennedy. We heard about Nike. And eventually his move across the planet to

Tokyo to open the Widen and Kennedy Japan office. John Jay's career has so many chapters, it would

be impossible to cram it into one episode.

So this week, we get closer to the present as we break down his extensive time spent to Japan

and the eventual move to fast retailing and Uniclo, where he is now the president of global creative.

Okay, part two, business of hype, John Jay.

Let's go.

Okay, so let's talk about the next chapter now.

Now you're at fast retailing.

How did that pivot happen?

Well, I arrived in Tokyo, and I have the Nike account now, and I do a study of the big

agencies in town. And of course, it's dominated by the two big Japanese agencies, Densu and

Hokohoto. And there's a smattering of Western agencies. Some have been there for a long,

long time. But Densu and Hakoto, like, really, it's a smattering of Western agencies. Some have been there for a long, long time.

But Denso and Hakoto, like, really,

it's a monopoly with those two.

...