Damaune Journey may be new to the industry, but he’s made enough noise in five years to echo for generations. As Global Chief Growth Officer at 72andSunny, he’s lured in over 50 new accounts, including Cadillac, Venmo, and Autotrader, and secured top industry honors like a coveted spot on the Ad Age A-List and two Emmy Awards, NBD.
In this episode, Damaune reveals his personal impact formula that – when used correctly – can multiply the influence of your work, why top-performing CMOs think beyond brand anthems, and his agency’s surprisingly collaborative approach to tackling its trickiest client briefs.
Purpose x Perspective x Persistence = Impact
Damaune’s call to advertising was driven by impact. He pivoted into the industry mid-career, guided by a mission to shift perspectives and shape culture. Since trading engineering for advertising, one thing that grounds him and his work is his “3P” formula. Purpose x Perspective x Persistence. Let’s break it down.
Starting with Purpose: Damaune says it’s essential to define what it is early: What’s the main reason for taking a project on? What outcome are you hoping for? Then, there’s Perspective, which includes applying your lived experience to the problem. Damaune’s experience as a Black man from Flint, Michigan and a dad living in California – both of which are underrepresented in advertising – makes his POV unique. Anyone can take their Purpose and Perspective and then multiply that with Persistence – or sheer willpower to solve a problem – to make a larger-than-life impact in any industry.
“The Murph Meter” – how 72andSunny measures greatness
While 72andSunny has a growing list of accolades – including Ad Age A-List, LBB Immortal Awards, and even an Emmy – they’re not chasing trophies. In fact, you won’t find any hardware sitting on shelves in their offices. Damaune explains that they don’t make work for awards – they make work to make a difference, move people, and drive business growth. In other words, they need to ensure “the work works.”
Okay, but how does 72andSunny know they are making breakthrough work? As many marketers know, often you get a gut feeling, and in 72andSunny’s case, part of their gut feeling is to gauge whether or not their Global CCO, Matt Murphy, will show off the work at a dinner party. They call this measurement system the “Murph Meter.” If the work scores high on the Murph Meter, it’s likely to turn some heads when it’s out in the wild.
When the going gets tough, remember your “why”
Damaune knew he’d made the right move into advertising when he saw the impact 72andSunny’s “Run With It” NFL campaign had on his young daughter. Representation had drawn him to the industry, and one of the voices he set out to reflect was his daughter’s, who is of Black and Mexican descent. His daughter found a powerful connection to Diana Flores, the star of the Mexican flag football team featured in the campaign. The two are now WhatsApp besties, often exchanging video and voice notes.
For Damaune, the significance of that bond is clear: Diana hasn’t just become a role model. She’s changed how his daughter and many other young women see themselves, their place in sports, and what women are capable of.
When challenges in the industry arise, taking inventory of moments like these can have a profound impact on your “Persistence.”
Damaune reminds us that the work we do actually matters. Parents can control the content their little ones watch, but they can’t control the ads. We create impactful advertising. Young people are paying attention. If we’re lazy, crass, or unintentional, that’s being picked up by people around us. We as creators hold a huge responsibility.
From linear to limitless: beyond the TV spot
To be unignorable, you have to be everywhere. With linear TV fading, CMOs and creatives need to think beyond the :30. With streaming and social media, holding audience attention on TV commercials is harder than ever. The most effective brands are intentional with their media buy and use it to fuel ideation. The most effective agencies are mindful of where their work will appear and how the target audience will consume it. Brands and agencies may find truly breakthrough work comes from a tiny phone screen rather than a 65-inch TV.
72andSunny worked with Tinder for a massively successful TV-less activation where they transformed the dating app into an interactive, swipe-based story experience. “Swipe Night” matched users based on the choices they made in a 5-minute video story. The activation revitalized the app and generated a ton of PR for the brand.
Fancy brand anthems will still have a place in the industry – but a targeted, digitally native experience can have an outsized impact when it meets audiences where they’re at.
Tear down your internal walls by building one
At 72andSunny, the next big idea can come from anyone. Ideation isn’t limited to creatives. Whether you’re a strategist, PM, or even a nonbillable, your idea has a place on the wall (literally).
At each office, the agency posts its most challenging creative briefs on a wall, and anybody who works there can add a comment, question, or idea. Damaune explains that the concept was born from the agency’s belief in optimism. When you're open to all possibilities and perspectives and dare to display your thinking, you can generate powerful insights that lead to incredibly impactful advertising. Damaune was mum to share too many details, but he did invite us all to come check it out in person. Who’s in?
And we’re just getting started …
Need a lil more positivity from Damaune? Like the best star-studded moments from Sport Beach at Cannes? Or 72AndSunny’s POV on using AI to tackle client briefs? Catch the full episode on YouTube, and don’t miss Damaune’s ‘This or That’ where we pit all of his faves against each other – including Detroit vs. NY Pizza. As always, drop your favorite takeaways on our social posts and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. See you next month. 👋
ABOUT THE QUESTION EVERYTHING PODCAST
Part interview, part therapy, part Price Is Right, the Question Everything podcast puts your favorite CMOs and thought leaders in the hot seat. That means while they're facing off against our game board, you'll learn from the successes and failures of the best in the biz who were daring enough to be curious.
