Muffins of the moment: Josh & Jamie

The newly minted indie is busy pitching up a storm, but the first-name basis heads took five minutes out to answer the hard questions.

Describe a typical day in the J&J office ...
Jamie: Like the Rover’s Return.
Josh: Cold. We take turns on the heater.

How did you both end up here?
Jamie: Ski bum, English degree, Montana wines, Kibbutz banana farmer, Massey University design school where I meet Josh. We were wearing the same shoes. It was all over.
Josh: After Design School, we do Axis Ad School together and meet Duster. Duster gives us our first gig at Clems in Wellington and an opportunity to prove ourselves. He also gives us a verbal warning for farting. Our attempts to sleep our way to the top there fail but we get a job offer from Roy and Jeremy at Meares Taine anyway. Really good years follow before Meares Taine is acquired by Ogilvy. We leave Ogilvy to join Colenso and take a few tips from Rich Maddocks, Brent Smart and Nick Worthington. We also meet Jo Wealleans who becomes our number one suit. It’s time to back ourselves and here we are.

How do you settle a difference of opinion? Is it rock/paper/scissors?
Jamie: Hug it out.
Josh: It depends on whether the person with the difference of opinion has a point or whether they are just grumpy. Sometimes they just need a hug.

What are your top five ads right now and why?
Alac TVCs from the FCB gang: Cos we’ve all got friends like that. Ahem… Cough… cough.
Global Nike ad about writing history, only for Wayne Rooney’s post World Cup failure demise to trailer trash. Next year Liverpool. Next Year.
Dos Equis Beer: ‘Most Interesting Man in the World’ radio spots. I recently judged them for One Show. Definitely my favourite. Google for a giggle.
Colenso’s Fresh Up ‘Thirst is Creepy’: Only seen the one and looking forward to seeing the others, which is a good sign.
Animated Pascal ads. Nice one DDB for getting Czechoslovakia into a script.

What is it you find alluring about advertising?
Jamie: Solving problems in interesting ways with interesting people.
Josh: Hanging out with my mate all day.

What's the J&J beverage and snack of choice?
Jamie: Watermelon juice at Grand Harbour. Chicken Club Sammies from Monterey.
Josh: I think we’d eat a lot more pies if we felt our arteries could handle it. Or if our wives didn’t give us shit about it. Pies are like the new Durries … On special occasions we go to the Empress Gardens to hoover Peking Duck.

Complete the sentence: When the going gets tough...
Jamie: …is the theme song for Jewel of the Nile.
Josh: …was a homoerotic battery ad in the 80s.

Jamie, if Josh went into a cage fight with Joey from Friends and Oscar the Grouch, whose arse would he kick first and why?
He wouldn’t go in because he’s afraid of cages. And crossing the road, motorbikes and peanut butter.

Josh, if Jamie competed on stage in Sweden in the world air guitar championships, which song would he play and what would he wear?
He would bust out some old Cure numbers I think – but he’d still be wearing shorts. Which would be a bit weird but he reckons his calf muscles are his best feature and should be showcased at every opportunity. I’d be backstage tucking into his rider.