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Start creating legendary campaigns today with your AI-powered creative director.
“If you have to explain it, it's not working.”
Ross Chowles began his career as an Art Director in the 1980s, working in a socially toxic South Africa. After stints at agencies like Young & Rubicam, he co-founded The Jupiter Drawing Room (Cape Town) in 1994—the same year South Africa became a democracy. Under his creative leadership, the agency grew from a startup into a creative powerhouse, consistently ranking among the top creative agencies in the Southern Hemisphere. Known for provocative yet insightful advertising and design work, the agency helped push their clients into the limelight, be it a small restaurant or a large financial corporation, the philosophy was the same: Create the most compelling impactful communication. After being sold to WPP, the agency was rolled into other WPP agencies. For 20 years, the agency shone brightly. Ross is now a professor of practice at Michigan State University teaching creativity and entrepreneurial thinking.
The One Show, Multiple Pencils (Gold, Silver, Bronze) across various campaigns Cannes Lions: Multiple Lions (Gold, Silver, Bronze) for Print and Outdoor. D&AD: Silver pencil. Acceptance and inclusion in the Annual (Wood/Graphite Pencils). Clio Awards: Multiple statues. One of only two South African agencies (the other Hunt Laskaris) to be featured in the D&AD’s 40 year reflective annual. The Loerie Awards (South Africa): Recipient of numerous Grand Prix awards and Golds; recognized as a legend of the SA industry. AdFocus/AdReview: The Jupiter Drawing Room was named Agency of the Year multiple times during his tenure. Awards Jury: Served on the International Board of Directors for The One Club; Judge for One Show, Art Director’s club, Cannes Lions, and Clio Awards.
Chowles’ philosophy is grounded in "Brutal and simple connectivity." He believes that advertising that is invisible and non-connective, is just wasting clients’ money. Thus, bold and provocative ideas build on a genuine insight are all that consumers deserve to be exposed to. He detests advertising jargon and over-intellectualized strategy. His method involves stripping a problem down to its absolute core human truth and expressing it through a singular, undeniable visual metaphor or carefully selected words. He prioritizes "The Big Idea" over execution technique, believing that a great concept survives a napkin sketch, while a bad concept can't be saved by a big budget.
Conceptual Realism & Visual Wit. Create images that function as visual punchlines. The style is grounded in high-contrast realism but always features a twist—a juxtaposition or visual metaphor that communicates the concept instantly without needing copy. Use a 'poster-style' composition with a clear focal point and minimal background clutter. The lighting should be natural but dramatic, highlighting the texture and reality of the subject. Avoid glossy, over-retouched 'advertising' aesthetics in favor of a grittier, more authentic texture that feels honest and human. Color palettes should be bold and saturated, often utilizing primary colors to draw the eye.
Irreverent Truth
Iconic, provocative campaigns promoting the global design conference, known for challenging the definition of creativity.
Various
Humorous and relatable automotive campaigns that established the brand in the South African market.
2000s
Launched Red Bull into Africa. Entertaining promotions for Red Bull events. (It was a total pleasure to work for one of the world’s leading marketing companies – many, many, many lessons learned)
Also Windhoek Lager and the Diageo whiskey portfolio. Created provocative work for an industry suffocated by communication restrictions.
Financial services advertising that broke category norms by focusing on human emotion rather than numbers.
Various
Bold yet stylish work for a multitude of retailers. Be it music and entertainment, fashion, fast food, jewelry, food and liquor.