#88: Why Purpose Still Matters | Bill Oberlander, Founder & Creative Chairman at OBERLAND

About this episode

Why does doing good still feel risky in the boardroom even when it’s good for business?

In this episode, OBERLAND Founder & Creative Chairman Bill Oberlander joins Jason Harris to explore the Soul & Science of purpose-driven marketing and talk about why creativity, commerce, and consciousness can (and should) coexist.

Bill shares his journey from Madison Avenue to launching a values-first agency that's now AdAge’s Purpose-Led Agency of the Year. He opens up about building OBERLAND from scratch, pitching campaigns like ELF’s So Many Dicks, and why he believes hustle, resilience, and unrelenting honesty are the keys to making good money, by doing good.

What’s Inside:
✅ Why a purpose-driven brief matters more than a purpose-driven agency
✅ How “creativity, commerce, and consciousness” intersect in great marketing
✅The origin stories behind some of OBERLAND’s boldest work, from pitching Thinx to launching ELF’s viral “So Many Dicks” campaign
✅ Why brands that ignore social impact are missing their next generation of consumers

Memorable Moments:
💡 “You don’t need a purpose-driven agency to do purpose-driven work. You just need a purpose-driven brief.”
💡 “The best new business department is just better creative.”
💡 “Make good money. That’s the line.”

Brought to you by Mekanism.