Video Interviews — Capture Your Flag

Jason Anello

Jason Anello is founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency that imagines and produces remarkable online and offline ideas. Previous to Manifold, Anello held creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather and Digitas. A food and travel junkie, he runs the Forking Tasty travel food blog and supper club series. Anello earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from the University at Albany.

All Video Interviews

Jason Anello on Creating Food Web Content That Inspires Audiences

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Are Learning to Apply Your Food Passions in New Ways?" Anello shares how after years applying his passion for food by cooking for others, he is now expanding into creating digital content around food and eating with others. After starting a supper club to bring people together for dinner time and then writing a blog, Anello tries new ways to use digital media and social media to create food content for the web that engages, entertains and inspires his audience.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Jason Anello on Three Ways to Have a More Memorable Meal With Friends

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Are Your Favorite Ways to Share Food Adventures and Meals With Friends?" In his culinary adventures, Anello has found three ways to have a more memorable meal with friends. First is having courage to order crazy items on the menu for the table. Second is getting more people involved in the group so more food can be tried and more reactions can be observed. Third is to be spontaneous and less rigid about making dinner plans.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Jason Anello on Making a Positive Contribution Each and Every Day

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "On a Daily Basis, What Does It Mean to Contribute in the Work That You Do?" Anello shares how he looks contribute each day by making a positive impact in the lives of those around him. If he is cooking, it may mean to make a memorable meal that will make the person he is eating with happy. If he is working, it may mean to add a creative insight or suggestion to a brainstorming conversation that makes an idea hole.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Jason Anello on Hosting an Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner Party

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Have You Learned from Your Experience Hosting an Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Party With Friends?" Anello shares how hosting a potluck dinner party for friends every Thanksgiving - Thanksbringing - has allowed him to experiment with different types of food and ways to cook turkey. Consistently hosting every year has also given him a lens to see how his friendships are evolving, including new faces of friends and babies, and what that has meant in his life.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Jason Anello on Parenting a Startup From Infancy To Adulthood

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "To What Do You Aspire and How Has This Changed If At All Over the Past Five Years?" Over five years interviewing with Capture Your Flag, Anello maintains an aspiration toward discovering the next and new. He shares how his co-founder work parenting his startup marketing agency out of infancy toward adulthood embodies this focus. He notes that work has him "in the weeds" nurturing and caring for the business he co-founded and has helped to build over five years.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Jason Anello on Writing a Life Goals List to Guide Career

In Chapter 1 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Role Has Reflection Played in Shaping Your Personal Growth?"  Anello always tries to slow down and reflect at different points in his life.  He shares an example from college, when he wrote a list of seven life goals and how he has worked toward achieving them in his life. 

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on How Parents Support Creative Career Choices

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?"  Anello shares how his parents have found ways to give him independence and encouragement even in times when they did not quite understand his decisions.  He notes how his father, a union man working a blue collar job as an auto mechanic, needed to accept an advertising career path was more fluid and less stable. 

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Applying Work Ethic in First Job

In Chapter 3 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?"  Anello learns his work ethic from his father and grandfather.  He learns to apply this work ethic - when given a job, you do the job to the best of your ability - working a high school job at a five and dime or party store.  Working there seven years teaches Anello a lot about how business works. 

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Living a Work Hard Play Hard Life

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Steps Are You Taking to Do What is Best for Your Family and Future?" Anello shares how he and his wife are both Type A personalities and are very comfortable with a "Go, Go, Go" lifestyle that puts career first today while leaving room for fun adventures along the way.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series. He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Finding Happiness Blending Work and Play

In Chapter 5 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Anello finds he is happiest as a well-rounded person who draws no line between working and playing, professional and personal. Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Experiencing Joy Traveling Somewhere New

In Chapter 6 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Have You Found Most Rewarding About Traveling to New Places?" Traveling somewhere new fuels Anello's creativity, as does finding new places to explore in places such as Barcelona and Madrid he has already been. He shares how big trips need not always be planned and shares an example of a long weekend trip to Amsterdam he and his wife took in the past year.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Getting Validation Your Work is Meaningful

In Chapter 7 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Has Winning Ad Age's Small Agency of the Year Award Meant to You Personally?" Winning the award gives Anello a sense of achievement that provides a sense of validation for the company he helped create. The validation helps him better frame why his work is meaningful and understand the impact his work creates. 

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Being a More Confident Creative Leader

In Chapter 8 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in What You Do?" Anello takes heart in author Malcolm Gladwell's message that confidence is leadership. When running his company and when presenting to clients, Anello understands there is a time and place to be assertive and project confidence to communicate a point.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

3 Ways to Handle Pressure and Excel in a Creative Director Job

In Chapter 9 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Working in advertising creating experiential marketing events, Anello details the three areas where he needs to handle the pressure.  The first is in pitch meetings. He learns to understand he will never be in control and learns to let go. The second is in coming up with ideas. Here, he learns to set expectations that the ideation process is anything but consistent. The third is executing a marketing event and blending your plans with a need to adapt on the go.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Getting a Guerilla Marketing Event to Go Viral

In Chapter 10 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Did Doing a Zynga Blood Drive Project Teach You About Doing More Effective Guerilla Marketing?" To promote a new Zynga mobile game, Anello and his team send 100s of Zombies into the streets of New York City, trailing them with rhubarb and hibiscus mint flavored "blood pops." By handing out tiny stickers, Anello is able to get people to share the Zombie experience online and create a nationwide buzz that ties back to the Zynga game release.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Pitch Advice on How to Better Present Your Creative Capabilities

In Chapter 11 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How Have Your Client Experiences Evolved the Way You Present Your Capabilities When Pitching New Business?" Working in experiential marketing that combines physical and digital environments, Anello learns through experience to focus less on the creative flair of past projects and more on the core problems his team has solved for clients and the ROI and results the work has generated.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series. He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on Building Long-Term Client Relationships

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "How are Progressively Longer Term Relationships Changing How You Do Business?" Doing multiple ad campaigns and projects for clients such as Microsoft allow Anello and his team to better understand the client business, from its brand to its products to the client team personalities. The experiences create reference points Anello uses to deepen the Microsoft client relationships and build upon past projects with new creative projects.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency.  Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas.  A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series.  He earned a BFA from University at Albany.

Jason Anello on the Importance of Process in a Creative Business

In Chapter 13 of 20 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and Manifold ad agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Procedures and Processes Are You Putting in Place to Manage Company Growth?" Anello shares how he first learned the importance of process learning from his father, an auto mechanic, about how to take apart a bicycle. Early in his ad career working at Digitas, Anello learns how process actually helps a team generate creative. Now, as he grows his small agency from its founders to a larger team, Anello puts those lessons to work in structuring the business.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning creative advertising agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. A passionate foodie and traveler, he runs the Forking Tasty food blog and supper club series. He earned a BFA from University at Albany.