Monday night, I had the chance to see and hear two creative
masterminds in conversation focusing on innovation and creativity.
- Sergio Marchionne is chairman and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC
and CEO of Fiat S.p.A. Marchionne is credited with turning Chrysler Group and Fiat
around.
- John Jay, a Columbus native and Ohio State alum, is
co-global creative director for advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, the agency
that developed the “Imported from Detroit” Super Bowl ad campaigns for Chrysler
that made a worldwide splash.
In this event, Marchionne and Jay met each other personally
for the first time – then discussed topics that included the powerful impact of
innovative design and bold creative practice on successful businesses and, by
extension, the American economy, as well as the complex and challenging process
of reshaping a brand, and more.
Here are a few highlights from my personal notes:
“Talk is cheap, except in a 2-minute commercial during
halftime of the Super Bowl.”
“We used a composer in Portland for the music track; now
she’s a punk artist.”
“Clint first said he’d do the commercial but didn’t want to
show any cars. I told him I sold
cars for a living.”
“In 2009, no one bet a dollar on our survival.”
“I challenged our organization to launch 16 new products,
that now account for 75% of our sales.
We’ve paid back the government loans, with interest, 6 years ahead of
schedule.”
“We tapped into the mindset of the country. If Chrysler could do it, so could I.”
“Our leadership model requires two things: lead change and lead people.”
From Eminem song, Lose Yourself:
Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
Marchionne joined Fiat in 2004, returning it to
profitability in 2005 after four straight years of losses, and spearheaded
Fiat’s strategic alliance with Chrysler in 2009 with the support of U.S. and
Canadian government and trade unions. A little over two years later, following
its emergence from Chapter 11, Chrysler Group returned to profitability; in
June of this year, sales were up 20 percent from the previous year.
This event is presented in conjunction with the 200Columbus bicentennial
celebrations, honoring the creative spirit of Columbus. It is also the final
event in the eight-day idUS international design festival, taking place in
Columbus in October.
In conjunction with the event, 3 cars were parked in front of the Wexner Center
Plaza:
the Chrysler 200S
Convertible, the Dodge Dart Limited, and the Fiat 500.
On Saturday, I joined along with the Columbus chapter of
IDSA & IxDA for a tour of the facilities and creative space of ROTO, a
full-service design and production firm specializing in first-hand experiences
for museums and entertainment venues. 
