Jason Peterson

Jason’s big break came at the age of 21 when Andy Berlin hired him as Head of Art for Volkswagen. Three years later he became a founding partner and Executive Creative Director at Berlin Cameron, conceiving the famous Bill Murray NBA campaign. After 12 years at Berlin Cameron, Jason was hired as co-president and Executive Creative Director at Translation, a marketing agency founded by Steve Stoute and Jay-Z. Here, he created campaigns for State Farm, McDonald’s, and Target.
Today, Jason is the Chief Creative Officer of Havas North America, headquartered in Chicago. His innate sense of digital media and acute understanding of the coveted Millennial market has put him ahead of the curve on modern brand building—firmly believing that art, music, fashion, and design hold the answers to every brand’s problem. He motivates his creative teams to generate content for clients that “doesn’t just live on social media, but thrives on it.”
Peterson’s 20 years in the business have made him a mainstay in both the ad industry and in the world of social media. Known for igniting cultural conversations across all channels, he understands the critical role social media plays in brand storytelling and sees platforms such as Tumblr and Snapchat as perfect vehicles for creativity. To this point, Peterson can add “Top Instagrammer” to his resume. With close to 700,000 followers, @jasonmpeterson has turned his passion for photography into a cult following. His signature monochromatic aesthetic has led him to be sought after by many of today’s luxury brands, and he is consistently sponsored by camera company Leica.
From shooting in Iceland for Dom Perignon to drone portraits of Chicago’s prominent tastemakers for the city’s Soho House launch, Jason balances his role as CCO with staying on top of his Instagram account. His dynamic skill set as both active creator and agency leader has made him ideally suited to solve the most complex challenges faced by marketers today. If you see him on the street behind the lens of his camera, please say hello. His energy is infectious and he’s always game to engage in conversation.