In a year that decimated most agencies, Mojo Supermarket, the three-year-old outfit founded by former Droga5 creative Mo Said, managed to not only more than double its 2019 revenue in 2020 to $2.5 million, but is now projecting revenue will hit $10 million this year. Serendipitous timing, as well as a culture rooted in creative diversity helped pave the way.
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In February of 2020, Mojo Supermarket wanted to highlight the gender disparity at the Oscars, where only one woman had ever won for best director amid five female nominations in the Awards’ 92-year history. In “Give Her A Break,” the agency hacked the show’s commercials, replacing them with female-directed films. The stunt did more than what it was supposed to—it gained attention for women, and also for Mojo Supermarket.
When the pandemic struck—brands, desperate for the same bold creativity, called the shop.
“Give Her A Break wasn’t supposed to be some new-business tool. It was just us doing the type of work we like to do,” says Said, a Pakistan native who moved to the US when he was 18 and now works as chief creative officer of the agency. “But what we didn’t realize was that the pandemic would happen, which would make people realize that most marketing is garbage and send the smart marketers on a search for innovative thinking that can get them into culture.” As a result, Mojo raked in new clients such as Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, Kraft, Amazon and Netflix. Later this year, it will release new work for long-time client Adidas.
