The MCA Prodcast – Details, episodes & analysis

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re celebrating with a very special recap episode of The Prodcast, revisiting some of the most powerful insights and standout advice our incredible guests have shared over the past year. 

Pat Murphy has had the privilege of sitting down with some of the brightest minds in the industry, exploring a wide range of topics — from the evolving role of the producer and the impact of sonic branding, to why being selective with your projects is more important than ever, and the rapid rise of creator marketing.

In this episode, you’ll hear highlights from:

·      Ed East, founder of Billion Dollar Boy, breaking down how creator marketing really works, how success is measured, and how you can harness the power of creators in your next campaign. 

·      Steve Davies from the APA on the evolving role of the producer — and why producers are more essential now than ever before.

·      Nils Leonard of Uncommon Creative Studio on why turning down work can sometimes be the right move, plus their unconventional approach to making sure great ideas actually get made.

·      Simon Elms, ad composer, on the science behind sonic branding and why getting your audio right is absolutely critical.

Season 5 of The Prodcast will be launching very soon with loads more outstanding guests. Follow the show now, for free, so you don’t miss an episode. 

Hosted by Pat Murphy

Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

Murphy Cobb & Associates |  The MCA Prodcast  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram | Email

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy is joined by Simon Elms, Founder of Eclectic Music & Bark Soho. Simon is a multi-award-winning composer, arranger, and producer with over 30 years of experience spanning film, television, and advertising. In advertising specifically, Simon has crafted bespoke music for high-profile global campaigns for brands such as Coke, Ford and HSBC.Simon has developed a reputation for his musical insight, creative agility, and sonic precision. His original compositions and inventive sound design have earned industry recognition, including an International Emmy nomination.

Simon and Pat explore the pivotal role music plays in advertising, and why it so often gets overlooked. Simon shares his frustrations over how sound is typically left to the final stages of production and argues for integrating composers much earlier in the creative process, recounting how true collaboration between agency, client, and music partner can yield not only better work, but smoother workflows. 

Simon discusses the deep connection between music and neuroscience, explaining how sound can bypass rational thought to trigger powerful emotional responses. He highlights a quote from Sir Thomas Beecham — “the function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought” — to illustrate how music communicates directly with the subconscious, a concept long understood by composers and now backed by modern science. For this reason, Simon argues that imperfect, emotional tracks can often connect more deeply than overly polished ones.

Simon also shares his view on the rise of AI in music production. Whilst he acknowledges that technology may displace some traditional roles, he sees it as a tool that, in the right hands, can empower more creativity and accessibility. 

 See Simons’s favourite ad: Hamlet - Wig 

 Hosted by Pat Murphy

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Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

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This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to Carl Addy, Executive Creative Director at The Mayda Creative Co. Carl delivers ground-breaking visual work in design, digital media and immersive VR technology. He works in both live action and animation, combining his obsession with music with his knowledge of digital trends and film making.

Carl explains the name ‘Mayda’, where it came from and how it embodies their company philosophy. ‘It's a bumpy ride, it has unknown outcomes and actually it's the treasures that you find along the way and the adventures that bond people together’, Carl says. He describes the workforce as creative collaborators who understand how to take something from zero script to final pixel.

Carl reveals why he thinks it’s important for directors to write their own treatments. He admits it can be harder for directors who are not A-list to get the attention of the right people, but a great idea should always cut through and a director should be able to communicate a feeling better when writing the treatment themselves. ‘If you like how I dance, we’ll dance well together’. Carl also admits that it’s very hard to come up with a unique idea because everyone is competing for the same work, and utilising the same reference points.

Carl talks about the jobs that he will gladly take on, and considers the rare occasion he might politely decline. Carl always prioritises ‘film school’, as he calls it; any project which gives him an opportunity to learn or try something new will very likely get the green light from him!

Carl tells the story of a fascinating project where an advertising brief led to the creation of a real, hardware product; a next generation helmet that could help NFL coaches communicate in real-time with hard-of-hearing players. Find out more about it here.

Carl also tells us about his band, Heavy Menthol which he describes as his opportunity to be daft and irresponsible; ‘exactly what you would imagine when middle-aged men get together and write metal songs and make a lot of noise’, he says. 

Watch Carl’s favourite ad: Flour Sacks during Depression-Era America

 Hosted by Pat Murphy

 Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

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This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to author and copywriter Paul Burke, the most successful radio writer and producer in the world. Paul’s written many of the nation’s most-loved commercials and won many awards for his work through the years.  As well as being a published author, Paul has recently adapted two of his books for the big screen; films which are currently in development. 

Paul shares the reason for his passionate love of radio, and reveals how he was drawn to copywriting. Despite not loving literature at school, it was Paul’s sense of humour that got him noticed and he soon found his love for writing, specifically for audio. Paul looks back on his career, from the early copywriters he worked with that shaped his love of the medium, and considers how writing for radio has changed over the years. 

Paul explains what makes for good, effective copy and how copy can vary by platform. He also outlines the skill involved in copywriting and why powerful copy can be the difference between a successful campaign and an unsuccessful one. Paul also argues that talent is an issue in advertising; where our industry used to exclusively attract top creative talent, now talent can explore other avenues like social media, film, podcasting etc. This leads to a greater competition for talent. 

Paul and Pat revel in some showbiz name-drops, as they reflect on the best (and worst) celebrities they’ve worked with over the years. Paul shares a story of working with one person in particular who he considers to be the biggest perfectionist in the business and tells the story of why he one time had to stand up to a very demanding agent!

Paul shares some of his favourite audio ads of all time, explains why he loves them and tries to dispel the myth that you can’t have an ad that is good, quick and cheap! 

 Watch Paul’s favourite ad: Chevy’s – Mother’s Day

 Hosted by Pat Murphy

 Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

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This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to Matt Miller, President and CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP). AICP represents the interests of independent companies that specialise in the production and post production of commercials in various media—film, video, digital—for advertisers and agencies.

Matt looks back on his 30 years with AICP and considers how the industry has changed (or not) in that time. “I think probably more has stayed the same than changed”, he says. He also reveals how he ended up on The Today Show many times as a correspondent for all things advertising, often explaining the cultural phenomena of Super Bowl advertising to the US audience. 

Pat and Matt discuss the changing nature of production and procurement – how production costs vary around the world and why the US is amongst the most expensive. Matt explains the balancing act for any brand is between the value of US talent and expertise versus potential cost-savings elsewhere. They also discuss the shift we’re seeing where more and more creative agencies are bringing their production in-house. What does this mean for creative output and what are the broader implications for our industry? Is there a potential conflict where agencies may not provide the best outcome for their client? Also, what do these shifts mean for talent, talent development and people thinking about their career trajectory?

Matt explores the dangers of AI and why he thinks strong regulation is required to safeguard our industry and protect the work of creatives. “We got so much wrong with the creation of social media and this is so much more powerful than social media. We need to get this right for the good of the world” Matt says. 

Outside of work, Matt is a keen golfer and his family foster cats. Matt says about the cats in his home ‘I never know when one is going to show up!’. He estimates they’ve rescued over a hundred cats since COVID... Incredible! 

Watch Matt’s favourite ad: Nike – Tiger Woods’ Perfect Golf Swing

 Hosted by Pat Murphy

 Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

Murphy Cobb & Associates |  The MCA Prodcast  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram | Email

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks with Wesley ter Haar. Wesley is the co-founder of Media.Monks, a digital-first marketing and advertising services company that connects content, data, digital media and technology services across one global team built from the bottom up. He sits on the boards of SoDA (The Digital Society) The One Club and S4Capital.

Wesley shares with us how he went from being an intern at Vodafone, to founding Media.Monks, and then merging with S4Capital. Wesley explains how they set about establishing a company culture, whilst bringing two organisations together. How do you ensure company values remain consistent across separate geographical locations

Wesley considers the revolutionary technologies in advertising production, such as Virtual Production and AI, and considers where we might go next. He considers the possibility that we may look back on VP as simply an bridge-gap between traditional production methods and AI. He also considers how the craft will improve as the ‘baseline’ for quality increases. As AI can produce a better product for less cost, agencies and advertisers will have to up their game to stand out!

For creators, Wesley argues that understanding and utilising AI is similar to the advent of computers. ‘We used to say if you're a creative, try at least to get an understanding for coding. We're not expecting you to be a great developer, but it's really meaningful to understand the machines that have to translate your craft and creativity. I think it's the next version of that.’

Despite the threats posed by AI, Wesley describes himself as an optimist. He shares his view on the societal impact that technology could have on jobs and the economy and describes Elon Musk as a ‘doomer’ for suggesting that nobody will ever need a job! 

 See Wesley’s favourite ad: Guinness – Surfer 

 Hosted by Pat Murphy

 Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

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This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to John Hegarty, Co-founder and Creative Director at The Garage Soho & The Business of Creativity. He was a founding partner of Saatchi and Saatchi in 1970 and founded Bartle Bogle Hegarty in 1982.

John looks back on his career, including launching Saatchi and Saatchi and reveals why his name isn’t above the door! He also tells the story of receiving his knighthood from The Queen and describes the event as ‘all the pomp without the pomposity’!

When it comes to modern marketing, John argues that brands have a tendency to forget two crucial ingredients - persuasion and promotion. John suggests that many brands’ approaches to advertising can verge on stalking their audience rather than trying to engage them, and suggests ways this can be avoided. Have brands and advertisers become too obsessed and reliant upon measurement?  Successful ads create empathy with the brand but ‘trying to measure that becomes an impossibility’ says John.

John also suggests that brands can be persuaded too by market research and tend to avoid using gut instinct. He uses the example of Abba having recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of winning the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo. At the time, the British public gave the song nul points. That is arguably consumer research that didn’t suggest the song would do very well, however it went on to become a huge hit!

John shares the creative process behind some of his most iconic ads, including the 15-year campaign for Levis. John explains the process that would involve creating as many as 50 ideas on paper, whittling them down, scripting and turning the best ideas into ads. What skills and specialisms are required to successfully turn an idea into reality? John also highlights the importance of music in advertising and explains why it should feature highly on any production budget.

John and Pat also discuss what creativity is, fundamentally. How are we creative? How does our creative ability separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom, and to what extent can AI begin to replicate human creativity? John explains how you can take part in his course ‘The Business of Creativity’ and how it is for everyone in all organisations to help them understand the role of creativity and how it leads to success. It’s not just for creatives!

For more from John, read his books:

Hegarty on Creativity: There are No Rules

Hegarty on Advertising: Turning Intelligence into Magic

Watch John’s favourite ad: Volkswagen - Funeral 

Hosted by Pat Murphy

Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

Murphy Cobb & Associates |  The MCA Prodcast  |  

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks with Global CEO of MullenLowe Global Kristen Cavallo. Previously, Kristen stewarded The Martin Agency to great heights, including being named as U.S. Agency of the Year, Ad Age’s Agency of the Year and making the Fast Company Most Innovative Companies list. Kristen is a leading voice in the advertising industry, taking on important social and business issues, serving as a champion for equity and inclusion, defending the integrity of original creative ideas and operating as a firm believer that innovation is where growth thrives. 

Kristen's life is a tapestry of diverse experiences, from her childhood as an Army Intelligence Officer's daughter to her extensive world travels, all of which have contributed to her dynamic approach to leadership in the ad world. In telling the story of her career Kristen reveals how she finds strength in change, and drawing on a myriad of perspectives to invigorate brand narratives.

Kristen explains how she strives to foster creativity and inclusivity at MullenLowe. She also explains how she’s worked to diversify her teams over the years and how that has in-turn helped her to be a better leader. “Being able to have a team with more diversity allows me the ability to hear more perspectives before I come up with a decision and understand the implications of how that decision will land”, she says. 

It turns out that Kristen, despite being an advertising CEO, has never been to a film shoot! Hear how that has happened and why she doesn’t intend to change it. Whilst not a creative herself, Kristen believes that creative people can work well for organisations in the CEO role. “I think the people that make and dream up the products understand the business in a new and different way than maybe the people who understand the consumer like me” she says. 

** Since recording, Kristen has announced she is leaving her position at MullenLowe to pursue a career in politics – something she alluded to in this episode. We wish her all the best for the future.  

See Kristen’s favourite ad: Ernest Shackleton – Recruiting for The Endurance   

Hosted by Pat Murphy  Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast: Murphy Cobb & Associates |  The MCA Prodcast  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram | Email  

To mark the end of a really successful season 2, we bring you a very special episode of The MCA Prodcast as we look back on some of our favourite bits of advice that guests have given us over the last few months. 

Pat Murphy has been lucky enough to sit down with some of the real shining lights in our industry and we’ve covered so many different topics; from diversity and inclusion, to AI, virtual production, and the seismic shifts that have happened in advertising production in recent years. 

How important is storytelling in advertising and how heavily should brands rely on data to inform their content decisions? Where in the process of devising your next campaign should you begin to think about DE&I? Can AI generated content be copyrighted?

Answering these questions and many more are:

·      Rishad Tobaccowala - Author, Speaker, and Podcaster 

·      Efrain Ayala - Global Creativity and D&I Director at Reckitt.

·      Andrew Robertson - President & CEO of BBDO Worldwide

·      Nick Johnson - Global Head of Tech, Media & Comms at Osborne Clarke

·      Melania Kulczycka - Client Director at VuFinder Studios

Season 3 of The MCA Prodcast will be landing in early 2024!

Hosted by Pat Murphy 

Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

Murphy Cobb & Associates |  The MCA Prodcast  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram | Email

This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to Andrew Robertson, President & CEO of BBDO Worldwide where he’s worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including Meta, AT&T, FedEx, GE, Mars Inc., PepsiCo, SAP and Wells Fargo. He has been inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame and currently serves on the Board of Hope Funds for Cancer Research.

Andrew reflects on his first experience in sales – selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door in his local town. What lessons about sales and marketing did he take from that experience and can they be applied to selling on a global stage (rather than in the customer’s front room)?!

Andrew reveals what makes a successful advertising company; the mantra at BBDO is ‘it’s all about the work’ – that if you have the best talent then the work will speak for itself. Andrew is unquestionably a people person and he also explains the importance of maintaining great relationships with those you work with; “You have to love your clients. If you choose to love your clients, generally, what you'll find is they'll love you back.”

Andrew talks about the seismic shifts he’s witnessed in our industry – the invention of the internet, the advent of smartphones and now the arrival of generative AI. Andrew foresees a future where the ‘craft’ will be in knowing what to ask for in order to execute an idea in the best possible way. However, he doesn’t believe machines will ever be able to fully replace creativity as AI can only model on what already exists. “At some point, you have to have a leap, you have to have an idea”, he says. Andrew also considers the ‘landmines’ we’ll need to watch out for along the way, such as IP issues and bias. 

Pat and Andrew also discuss the role that humour can play in advertising and how certain subjects have, rightly, become no-go zones. That said, humour can still be incredibly effective in advertising – even at communicating a serious message. Andrew highlights how stand-up comedians were employed to great effect in BBDO’s powerful Sandy Hook campaign, where they delivered shocking lines from past mass shooting perpetrators.

See Andrew’s favourite ad: The Economist – On the Edge of a Conversation

 Hosted by Pat Murphy

 Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

Murphy Cobb & Associates |  The MCA Prodcast  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram | Email