Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind Podcast By Mekanism and Jason Harris cover art

Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

Soul & Science: Fast Forward Your Marketing Mind

By: Mekanism and Jason Harris
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About this listen

 In today’s world how does a brand break through the noise and become iconic? Well, there’s a complex marketing machine running behind all your favorite brand names that goes deeper than you could imagine.

Join Jason Harris, co-founder and CEO of award-winning creative agency, Mekanism, as he speaks with leading experts about how to build an iconic brand. We will pull back the curtain on how culturally relevant brand building and always-on digital work together to make brands famous and drive business Results. Think of it as EQ meeting IQ. Let’s fast forward our marketing minds on the Soul & Science Podcast.

Soul & Science is a Mekanism podcast produced by Maggie Boles, Ryan Tillotson, Grace Robert and Lily Jablonski. The show is edited by Daniel Ferreira, with theme music by Kyle Merritt.

At Mekanism we build iconic brands with Soul & Science. The Soul is culturally relevant brand building and the Science is the always-on marketing activities that drive the bottom line. Learn more at mekanism.com.

Brought to you by Mekanism.2024 Mekanism Art Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Mini: The Return of HBO Max

    Mini: The Return of HBO Max
    Jun 2 2025
    What do you call a streaming service that can’t sit still? Apparently, HBO Max… again.

    In this Soul & Science mini-episode, Jason unpacks why the HBO brand is once again reclaiming its name, and what this says about brand equity, consumer sentiment, and the fine art of knowing when to walk it back. From Gap to Tropicana to the Twitter-that-shall-not-be-named, some branding detours are better left reversed.

    Key Takeaways:
    ✅ Don’t mess with strong brand equity—especially when it’s called “HBO.”
    ✅ A reversal doesn’t have to be a failure if you own it.
    ✅ Smart brands listen, learn, and even laugh with their customers.

    Backtracking isn’t always a step back. Sometimes, it’s just better branding.

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    4 mins
  • #88: Why Purpose Still Matters | Bill Oberlander, Founder & Creative Chairman at OBERLAND

    #88: Why Purpose Still Matters | Bill Oberlander, Founder & Creative Chairman at OBERLAND
    May 28 2025
    Why does doing good still feel risky in the boardroom even when it’s good for business?

    In this episode, OBERLAND Founder & Creative Chairman Bill Oberlander joins Jason Harris to explore the Soul & Science of purpose-driven marketing and talk about why creativity, commerce, and consciousness can (and should) coexist.

    Bill shares his journey from Madison Avenue to launching a values-first agency that's now AdAge’s Purpose-Led Agency of the Year. He opens up about building OBERLAND from scratch, pitching campaigns like ELF’s So Many Dicks, and why he believes hustle, resilience, and unrelenting honesty are the keys to making good money, by doing good.

    What’s Inside:
    ✅ Why a purpose-driven brief matters more than a purpose-driven agency
    ✅ How “creativity, commerce, and consciousness” intersect in great marketing
    ✅The origin stories behind some of OBERLAND’s boldest work, from pitching Thinx to launching ELF’s viral “So Many Dicks” campaign
    ✅ Why brands that ignore social impact are missing their next generation of consumers

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “You don’t need a purpose-driven agency to do purpose-driven work. You just need a purpose-driven brief.”
    💡 “The best new business department is just better creative.”
    💡 “Make good money. That’s the line.”

    Brought to you by Mekanism.
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    34 mins
  • #87: B2B Marketing Shouldn’t Be Boring | Jim Lesser, Chief Brand Officer at ServiceNow

    #87: B2B Marketing Shouldn’t Be Boring | Jim Lesser, Chief Brand Officer at ServiceNow
    May 12 2025
    Just because it’s B2B doesn’t mean it has to be boring.

    This week on Soul & Science, Jason sits down with Jim Lesser, Chief Brand Officer at ServiceNow, the enterprise platform helping organizations simplify workflows and put AI to work across their business.

    Before stepping into the world of B2B tech, Jim led award-winning campaigns as CEO and Executive Creative Director at BBDO San Francisco, including the well-known "Imagine the Possibilities" campaign for Barbie. He shares how creative thinking, operational reinvention, and a people-first approach have shaped his leadership path.

    Jim talks about what it really takes to build an emotional connection in B2B marketing, why “marketing the marketing” matters more than ever, and how making yourself useful can unlock the next opportunity in your career.

    What’s Inside:
    ✅ Lessons from Jim’s rise from agency receptionist to CEO to Chief Brand Officer
    ✅ Why managing creatives is harder, and maybe more valuable, than mastering spreadsheets
    ✅ How ServiceNow is building a more human, recognizable brand in the B2B space
    ✅ The thinking behind ServiceNow University and the company’s growing community of users

    Memorable Moments:
    💡 “Make yourself useful, and your next opportunity will find you.”
    💡 “Cool sh*t with cool people. That’s the billboard.”
    💡 “If the product is innovative, the marketing should be too.”


    Brought to you by Mekanism.
    Show more Show less
    37 mins
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