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In 2021, two girls at the University of Lincoln made a joint LinkedIn account. That one decision would kick off a whirlwind three and a half years for them as creative duo Jas and Geo, climbing from a placement to full-time employment at Dentsu Creative, and now a promotion to midweight creatives at Leo Burnett UK.

Jas Nandoo and Georgette Fischer’s paths first crossed while they were still figuring things out on their university’s creative advertising course. “Within the first few months we were baking cakes, doing stand-up comedy and other bizarre activities together,” Geo remembers. “I felt out of my comfort zone and was considering changing my course to study something ‘more academic’. But I gave it a few more months, until baking cakes and stand-up comedy suddenly made more sense to me.”

After covid sent everyone home for second year, Jas and Geo decided to join forces when they returned for the third. The reasoning? “We had been each other’s first friends at uni, and we both had strong work ethics. As they say in ‘Love Island’, sometimes you do just have to put all your eggs in one basket…” notes Geo. They made a joint LinkedIn account, got noticed by Dentsu Creative, and were offered their first industry placement before they’d even handed in their final submission. 

Fired up and raring to go, they took a big leap of faith. As Jas recalls, “Geo risked it all by signing a contract on a flat for two years, when we only had three months of pay lined up. But we got hired after that placement. So, that’s the first lesson we learnt – if you’re not sure, try it and see what happens.” Whilst Jas and Geo’s bet paid off, they hope that young people in future won’t have to face the same uncertainty and financial insecurity. “I’d love to see more support for newcomers in the industry,” says Geo. “It’s hard enough graduating and having little money. Three-month placements do not offer much stability or a guarantee of what will come next. Having been there myself, it’s something I feel passionate about.”

“Our first piece of work was a DREAM,” Jas gushes, “Idents for Heinz x ITV & STV National Weather, working under one of our favourite teams, Katie and Ryan Griffiths.” That dream centred around one particular noble pursuit: writing puns. Geo explains, “We lived and breathed puns at uni, even though we were told that they’re never a good idea. But alas, there we were, writing punny lines about soup and the weather.”

Above: Agency for Nature ‘Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants’

That love for playful copywriting has continued to bloom, manifesting again in this year’s Agency for Nature ‘Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants’ billboards – as featured in Vogue Business – which spoke to the pressure young women are under to be constantly on the grind. Gen z-coded lines like, “Tired of the hustle, wanna hear the leaves rustle”, jokingly echoed their yearning to slow down and reconnect with nature; you can’t deny Jas and Geo know how to speak to their audience. “Advertising which doesn’t reflect the audiences it serves can be mundane. From the meme-like copy in ‘Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants’ to the grungy art direction in McDonald’s ‘Make It Yours’, we have adapted our work to fit different audiences,” says Geo.

Above: McDonald’s ‘Make It Yours’

McDonald’s ‘Make It Yours’ was the first of a number of campaigns Jas and Geo worked on for the brand this year, including the recent animated Happy Meal commercial starring none other than The Grinch. The 360 campaign, which they created while still juniors, celebrated the nicknames young adults use to refer to the fast food chain (‘McDizzles’ is Geo’s favourite). Cleverly crafted, you’ll find that the actual brand name isn’t spoken at all in the film, nor does it contain any visuals of its restaurants or food – its shorthands are iconic enough by themselves.

A masterclass in authentic representation, Jas and Geo worked closely with strategists, the production agency, and youth empowerment network We Rise Limited to ensure their target audience felt reflected throughout the process. Plus, the majority of the huge cast of young adults were street-casted for a final touch of relatability.

Representation is something Jas, who comes from an Iranian and Caribbean background, would like to see a lot more of throughout the industry’s workforce. “Specifically non-white creatives because it’s lonely out here!” she exclaims.“I could count on my hand how many creatives I’ve worked with from a minority ethnic background.” As Jas herself underlines, an industry that claims to be able to understand and speak to the nation should in theory be the most diverse and representative. “And really, it’s embarrassing that it’s not. On a selfish note, I would love a bit of office chat about Nowruz or curly hair product recommendations.”

They care about the industry being the best it can be, from improved representation to support for newcomers, because they love the fun and excitement of it; Jas still asks herself, “How have I got away with ‘creative’ as a job title for this long?” Though self-doubt can affect us all and does still make them question their own ideas, they relish the reward of seeing them come to life. “It’s amazing when the idea goes from ‘there’s something in that’ to a small mob of people on set making it happen,” says Jas.

After a day of scripts and emails, how do Jas and Geo unwind? More reading! Always keeping the creative juices flowing, Geo typically loves to get lost in a play, while Jas proofreads and reviews the latest fiction for The London Girls Book Club. They’ve even snuck some ‘Jas & Geo’s Bookshop’ signs into their ads – but they refuse to spill on which ones. Time to comb through their portfolio to find out.