The Industry’s a Cockroach: Why Advertising Will Never Die
“Advertising is a cockroach. It’ll always survive.”
That’s how Jason Harris, Co-Founder and CEO of Mechanism, described the business he’s spent his life in. For over two decades, he’s seen every supposed apocalypse for agencies—social media, in-housing, influencer marketing, and now AI. None have killed it. Each has only forced reinvention.
For students and juniors trying to break in, this is good news. It means the game changes, but the players who adapt still win.
Mechanism was born from change. Harris started as a field marketing rep for Miller Lite, hanging banners in liquor stores. He moved to a design studio, then PR, then finally landed at TBWA\Chiat\Day—his dream agency. Years later, he built Mechanism into one of the top independent agencies in the country, later acquired by Plus Company. Through every chapter, he watched the same pattern: evolution, not extinction.
“The industry has always been threatened,” Harris said. “First it was digital, then social, then influencers, now AI. It just keeps shifting. But it never disappears. It just finds a new way to exist.”
This mindset is what separates people who survive in advertising from those who fade. Here are the lessons Harris shared on how to build a career that lasts in an industry that never stops changing.
1. Stop chasing stability. Chase learning.
Harris’s first jobs were far from glamorous. He was setting up brand activations in bars and gas stations. But he saw them as proximity steps toward his goal. “I didn’t need the perfect job. I needed to get close enough to what I wanted so I could eventually get there,” he said.
That mindset—treating every role as a classroom—built the foundation for Mechanism. He learned production, design, PR, and client management before ever touching high-level creative work. Today, those skills make him a CEO who can speak every department’s language.
For young creatives, that means stop hunting for a dream title. Hunt for skill growth. You want experiences that compound, not comfort that stalls you.
2. Build your network before you need it.
Harris admits he made one big mistake early on: he didn’t network. “I just applied to everything. I never thought about reaching out to people I admired,” he said.
When he finally started building connections, everything accelerated. His advice now is simple. Don’t ask for jobs. Ask for advice. “People at the top love to give guidance. It’s their way of paying it forward,” he said.
Instead of blasting your portfolio link to 50 agencies, pick five people you respect. Learn their work. Send a thoughtful message asking for 15 minutes to learn about their path. You’ll be surprised how many respond.
3. Be the one who brings ideas, not just executes them.
Once you’re in the door, ideas are your currency. “Don’t just wait for assignments,” Harris said. “Make something extra. Put together a deck. Mock something up. That’s what gets you promoted.”
Every agency has people who do their job. Few go further. If you can show creative initiative and clear thinking, you rise fast. Harris said he looks for candidates who already act like they’re inside the agency. “Show that you’re thinking about how to make the place better,” he said.
4. Find partners who push you.
Mechanism wasn’t built by one person. Harris co-founded it with three partners—a director, a designer, and a digital strategist. “Starting something alone was exhausting,” he said. “Sharing the highs and lows with people you trust makes it sustainable.”
For aspiring creatives, that means find your “super friends.” The partners who challenge you and keep you accountable. You’ll go further together than you ever will solo.
5. Remember why this business still matters.
For all the noise about tech and automation, Harris says the heart of advertising is still human. “It’s about connecting emotion and behavior,” he said. “No algorithm replaces that.”
The tools will evolve. The channels will change. But if you stay obsessed with culture, creativity, and people, you’ll have a place in this industry for as long as you want it.
“Every generation thinks the business is ending,” Harris said. “It’s not. It’s just beginning again.”
If you want proof, listen to the full Breaking & Entering episode with Jason Harris. It’s a masterclass on longevity, reinvention, and what it really takes to survive in advertising’s next era.
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