Mischief’s Greg Hahn on the benefits of taking risks in campaigns

Fifteen years into his celebrated career as chief creative officer at BBDO, Greg Hahn — like millions of other people — lost his job at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later, however, he launched Mischief @ No Fixed Address, which found immediate success and recently was crowned Ad Age’s Agency of the Year.

“That’s kind of mind-blowing,” Hahn, who also acts as chief creative officer of the agency, says on The Current Podcast. “But if you surround yourself with the right kind of people and everybody knows why they’re there, the results are endless.”

Ironically, Mischief has developed a reputation true to its name, creating campaigns for Jay-Z’s cannabis brand, Monogram, that challenge marijuana regulation by comparing it to state laws of incest and bestiality. Another example: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese asked people to “send noods.” For Hahn, the riskiest idea is “the one no one pays attention to.”

In this episode, Hahn goes into how he discovered his co-founder at Mischief, what he looks for when he hires new employees, and the benefits of taking risks with campaigns. “That’s been our guiding force,” Hahn says. “How do you remain pure to your vision and grow at the same time? And I think it can be done.”