About

The best performance creative doesn't feel like performance creative. It earns attention first. Data tells you if it worked — but story and craft are what make someone stop scrolling. That conviction was forged over 15+ years at the intersection of storytelling and performance marketing, through the shift from broadcast-first to social-first and from intuition-led to data-informed creative. I didn't just witness that evolution — I built within it. For eight of those years, I led the creative side of the in-house video team at University of Phoenix — growing the creative department from two people to ten and helping bring the majority of production in-house. Working closely with performance marketing, we used audience data to continuously test and refine creative — analyzing retention curves, identifying why certain hooks worked, and turning those insights into sharper concepts and faster iterations. That process shaped how I approach creative leadership: not as a one-time vision, but as a system — balancing speed, testing, and craft to produce work that resonates and performs. I've also spent the last few years applying AI tools daily across my own creative and production workflows, from concepting to iteration. While they don't replace taste, craft, and original ideas, I've found them incredibly helpful for bringing my ideas to life faster. I've directed award-winning national reach campaigns across linear TV, paid social, digital, and OTT — from long-form storytelling, to UGC-driven ads, to TikTok content reaching 1.2M views (including one where I showed up in a full bird costume, because sometimes that's what the platform requires). My work spans real customers, creators, and professional athletes, always grounded in authenticity. I'm most energized by environments where creative is tied to results — where ideas are tested, refined, and scaled. Where the goal is simple: make work that moves people, and moves them to act. Open to the right in-house creative leadership opportunities — and always happy to connect with good people doing interesting work. Reach out at mike@mikejonesvideo.com or through the form below.