EXTENDED ENTRY DEADLINE | SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2024 ENTER NOW
Juror Spotlight
Kasen James, Senior Advertising Copywriter, GoDaddy
"I’m looking for work that has the potential to make people uncomfortable. 'If you try speaking to everyone, you speak to no one.' "
Kasen James is currently Senior Advertising Copywriter for GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain registrar and services platform for entrepreneurs. He’s responsible for helping GoDaddy sound smart across paid display and social media channels. Before joining GoDaddy in 2022, Kasen was a freelance comedy writer for The Harmon Brothers and the Head of Strategy for WireBuzz.
Described as a “pun-slinging lyrical genius”, “creative fountain”, and “sideways thinker” – Kasen is fearless when it comes to helping brand voices sing on the world’s biggest stage (i.e. the internet). For the past decade, his ideas and words have been driving results for diverse clients including Apyx Medical, Argosy Cruises, Boston Comic Con, Boston Scientific, HashBone, and Fountain Life (Tony Robbins). His freelance creative work has so far earned him 13 industry awards (including a Davey).
What led you to your current role?
I’ve been a marketer for most of my career, and a musician for most of my life. A few years ago, I started combining my gifts and writing songs for brands.
While living in Arizona in 2021, I decided to make a music video in the GoDaddy headquarters parking lot for a song I wrote about their brand just for fun. Fast forward 9 months to when the skies opened up and I saw GoDaddy was hiring a Sr. Copywriter, that music video sealed my fate.
What’s the last thing you saw that inspired you?
Take 5 Car Wash recently launched a campaign offering a free car wash to anyone who thinks the official Take 5 pigeon pooped on their car. The spot was produced by Erich and Kallman. It’s a masterclass in how to turn a small insight into a big execution.
What’s your dream project?
I’d love to be part of a campaign that runs from the billboards on the street to the Billboard charts. It would be awesome to write a brand single and/or make a branded music video, like Chevrolet’s “My Chevy Truck”.
What changes would you like to see in your industry?
Pluto is transitioning from Capricorn to Aquarius. Whether you subscribe to astrology or not, it’s hard to deny the technological era we’re entering is progressive, innovative, and less binary than how most computers (and people) are programmed.
That said, the biggest change I would like to see is a general shift in consciousness. AI scares me a bit – not because it threatens to replace our jobs, but because it threatens to replace human brilliance and devalue education. I would like the technology and creative industries to collectively become intentional about where they’re leading us. We don’t need more self-driving cars to run the soul of humanity off the Earth.
What are you looking for in entries to the Davey Awards?
I’m looking for work that has the potential to make people uncomfortable. “If you try speaking to everyone, you speak to no one.” I don’t care if the execution is scrappy – I want the raw insight to resonate with your (client’s) customer, and your concept to be memorable and scalable.