Every thought about getting into Music PR? We chatted to the directors of One-eyed Jack about getting into music PR, coolest festivals and everything in-between below.
Manuela – Director
How did you get into PR?
I’d actually wanted to be a designer but on leaving school I spent one day shadowing a team at an ad agency and decided that it wasn’t for me. I chose PR instead, as it’s a great foundation for a career in marketing, and you can choose what to specialise in afterwards.
What made you take the leap in starting your own agency and tell us a bit about how you did it?
I’d pretty much always worked in some form of entertainment marketing, but when I returned to SA and started working at an ad agency, I was placed on the dullest, most corporate accounts ever which came close to killing my soul. A close friend of mine identified a niche in the SA music scene and suggested that I go solo; I did and I’ve never looked back. I owe him a huge thanks!
What do you love most about your job?
Walking onto a festival site in the early hours of the morning, seeing all the bed-heads stumble out of their tents and hearing the sounds of the festival waking up. I love the people behind the scenes in this industry, they’re hard working but good-natured, the kind of people you’d want to sit round a fire and drink red wine with.
What are some of the best projects and events you have worked on in your career?
The UK’s Glastonbury Festival was the bomb! As were the BAFTA’s, Q Awards and Mojo Music Awards. I worked on film in the UK too and somehow ended up as an extra with Renee Zellweger and Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones, which is a scream. Back in SA, KZN Rage Festival has insane production, dealing with comedians on the Savanna Comics’ Choice Awards is always a laugh, and there will always be a place in my heart for Rocking the Daisies too. I also loved the VW #VIVOnation Festival as we conceptualised and produced it in its entirety along with Mushroom Productions.
You lived and worked over in the UK for some time, what made you come home?
I’d never meant to stay abroad for so long, but incredible opportunities kept opening up for me which in the end carved out the career that I have today. It was my family and my love for the African bush that brought me home, they’re two things that I can’t live without.
What events are you working on for the 2018/19 Season?
We’re working on product placement and PR for a film that’s being shot in Cape Town called ‘Riding with Sugar’ that we’re really excited about. We have a few Ballantine’s and Jameson Irish Whiskey events coming up and of course Rage Festival at the end of November. Next year we might check out MTN Bushfire in Swaziland as it’s been on our radar for a while. The rest of our 2019 events are still hush-hush as they haven’t been launched yet, but keep an eye on our social media pages for details as they’re released.
The team With DJ Black Coffee at Rage KZN festival in December last year.
Darren – Partner
What made you decide on the career path you took?
I didn’t really have a clear path in mind. I knew I loved writing, brands, media and marketing and my career has, for the most part, been in these fields.
You headed up the Marketing Division of Nokia, what made you leave corporate marketing for PR?
I was the national marketing manager for a year. I loved it and learnt a lot about marketing and large-scale campaigns. The move to One-eyed Jack came from a personal decision to move from Johannesburg to Cape Town. It was in Cape Town that I met my business partner and joined the company.
What do you love most about your job?
Our team: no matter how tough, busy, hard and challenging things can get, if you have a solid team who get each other then you’ll make it through the other side.
What are some of the best projects and events you have worked on in your career?
At Nokia I spearheaded the launch of the Lumia smartphone range. It was a huge launch and really exciting. At One-eyed Jack we’ve worked on a load of awesome events. The most recent would have to be the VIVOnation Festival, where we launched the new VW Polo Vivo. We were involved from concept to execution.
What events are you working on for the 2018/19 Season?
Some exciting activations for our car brand clients, Rage Festival in KZN.
