“I do what I have to do to get the job done”– Caroline R. Jones, stereotype smasher, out-of-the-box thinker and way-maker.

Who says that? A person who has no qualms getting in the grind, busting ass for as long as it takes to get the goal in the net. A person like Caroline Jones.

You see, that time when all about advertising was headed in a direction just like a herd of sheep, Caroline was the lone wolf that took a different path veering into minority advertising and as result helped diversify the industry. We are talking about centuries ago, in advertising years, when women were still seen as back-end players.

Of course, it wasn’t a cakewalk for her. It took a lot of persistence and guts for her to first get started as a copywriter at J. Walter Thompson, the global frontrunners in advertising at the time. In the blink of few weeks, she was promoted to the position of a creative director. In case you do not realize the import of this, it means she’s damn good. 

Hey copywriters, how many copies do you have to write before one gets approved? 

Down the line, she helped found a number of agencies like Mingo-Jones and Caroline Jones Advertising. The quality of your clients say something about you right? Well, this ceiling-smasher had an impressive client list that consists of American Express, National Urban League, Toys ‘R’ Us, KFC, Mc Donald’s and others. And why did they seek her services? For one, she was able to create a fresh perspective on the brands, changing the way Americans viewed them. And two, she was the doorway brands pass when they want to delve into minority advertising.   

Sadly, she died young at the age of 59. In the world of advertising history, she’s a legend. In Naija-speak, she has two heads.