At the forefront of artificial intelligence’s (AI) integration in the world of advertising is Robertson School of Communication alumnus, Jeff MacDonald (B.S. ’10, M.S. ’12), who serves as the AI Lab Director for Mekanism, an international creative agency headquartered in San Francisco. MacDonald is also an adjunct professor at VCU’s Brandcenter – his postgraduate alma mater – where he co-teaches User Participation Platforms, focusing on a mix of art direction and experience design. 

Drawn to VCU by its cultural prominence in Richmond, as well as the vibrant artwork and advanced equipment that could be found in the T. Edward Temple Building, MacDonald spent a lot of his time as an undergraduate in the Mac lab with fellow Robertson students. The support and collaboration he enjoyed in the creative advertising track set him on a path after graduation to make the trek across Belvidere Street to Mike Hughes Hall where he would earn his master’s in creative technology in 2012.

MacDonald’s professional career started in Richmond at The Martin Agency where he served as a creative technologist. In November 2015, MacDonald moved to Chicago to join Mekanism and worked in roles centered around experience design and social strategy until September 2024 when he returned to Richmond to begin his remote directorship in Mekanism’s AI lab.

Reflecting on your time at VCU, how do you feel your experience on campus prepared you to succeed in your career path?

VCU was great for me because it really pushed me to think collaboratively. It was awesome to be in an environment where everyone was sharing ideas, working together and figuring things out. Teamwork and client interaction are a huge part of my job now, and VCU's collaborative vibe in the classrooms totally set me up for success in my daily professional life.

Was there a faculty member that made a lasting impact on your education and career journey? How so?

I’d say Peyton Rowe significantly influenced my education. She personified the kindness and energy I aspired to bring to my career. Throughout my initial advertising courses, Peyton consistently helped me grasp not only the technical aspects of the profession but also its inherent humanity.

What is your favorite memory from attending VCU?

My favorite memory of attending VCU would have to be my graduation day. Not because I was done, but because I felt like things were just beginning. Graduation for me felt like the ultimate kick off to a life of creativity. I knew I was headed to graduate school and that I was about to build on this knowledge I’d been collecting for four years. I enrolled at The Brandcenter to continue exploring the intersection of business, creativity and technology. The new creative technology track particularly interested me, as I wanted to understand how it could shape my role and influence the advertising industry.

What has been one of your favorite campaigns that you have worked on?

One of my favorite campaigns ever was the Zima re-launch. I got to set up an "always-on" live stream for Facebook, which meant creating a dedicated live-streaming room at our Chicago office. This room had a TV playing retro video games, which was a cool mix of creativity and advertising, plus the tech challenge of keeping a constant live stream going. It was genuinely fun, hitting that Zima nostalgia and exploring some really creative stuff.

Your career path has focused on the crossover of creative and technology. What interested you in these specific areas?

My fascination with the convergence of creativity and technology has been a lifelong journey. While I initially gravitated towards technology, constantly exploring the latest gadgets and capabilities, my creative side emerged later. As I began to see diverse applications for my interests, I discovered that the intersection of creativity and technology offered a playground for my mind. It became a space to delve into how technology could be more human and how creativity could be more experiential.

How has advertising evolved over your career with the introduction of AI? How has it enhanced your approach?

AI is totally changing advertising, making human creativity more important than ever. Production used to be a huge hassle, but now it's getting easier, so we can spend more time nailing the big idea. I'm really hoping AI won't just mean more ads or replace us, but instead help us do our jobs better and tell even more human stories.

I try to wear so many hats now, I can dive into all kinds of projects I never thought I'd touch. It's really cool how AI helps me take on new roles. Even if I'm not super familiar with a project or a site build at first, AI pretty much gets me to the finish line. Then, I just sprinkle in my own creativity to complete it. This has really pushed me way beyond what I thought I was capable of, and I'm always picking up something new.

How do you envision advertising will continue to evolve with the increasing prevalence of AI?

I see two main directions for advertising's future. First, it's going to get way more personal. AI will let us crank out all sorts of communication styles, perfectly matched to different groups, and do it super fast. Second, because of all this personalized stuff, there's also going to be a real hunger for more handcrafted brand stories. This will be the kind of advertising that intentionally goes against the AI grain, putting human creativity first, with absolutely no AI involved.

With AI becoming more accessible and present in education, how would you encourage students to explore the technology as it continues to shape the job market they are preparing to enter?

My advice to students is to jump right in and start playing around with AI. See how it can actually help you out in your everyday life. Don't just ignore it; figure out what makes it useful. I also tell them to quickly find its weak spots, really pushing the tech to see what it can't do. Once you know that, it's a good baseline. You can then check in every few months to see how AI is improving. If you use the same prompt with new tools and models and keep an eye on the results, you'll be the smartest person in the room when it comes to talking about what AI can really do.

What’s your why?

I'm all about leading people to moments of wonder. Whether I'm working on an ad campaign, designing an AI workflow, or teaching, I want to stop people in their tracks and get them thinking in a new way.

I really want to create something that's not just useful, but also looks great and tells a good story. I've been working towards this, and I think my next big move is to build something that not only shares a brand's story but also helps people out with their everyday tasks.