Justin Lefkovitch, named one of Cablefax’s Overachievers under 30
“Congratulations to Cablefax’s 4th annual class of Overachievers Under 30, who were feted Wednesday afternoon in NYC. Colleagues, bosses and family members celebrated their achievements, which range from founding a successful experiential marketing agency to running complex financial transactions for a top US MSO to creating branded entertainment narratives for blue chip brands.
The honorees shared some of the best professional advice they’ve received, including some good counsel that even the industry veterans in the room took note of. Turner’s Jasmine Clennon, senior manager of ad innovation & programmatic solutions, cautioned against equating being busy with producing meaningful output. Mirrored Media founder/CEO Justin Lefkovitch reminded everyone that it’s important to stop and celebrate the little wins along the way. Along those lines, Nat Geo Wild communications manager Molly Mulrain advocated for stepping back and looking at the big picture. She recalled one moment when boss Jenn DeGuzman stopped her and said, “Molly, it’s PR not the ER.”
Congratulations to all of the 2017 Overachievers! Check out photos from the event in our Facebook album.”
2017 Overachievers Under 30
Justin Lefkovitch
Founder/CEOMirrored Media
Lefkovitch is founder and CEO of experiential marketing agency Mirrored Media, which specializes in creating 360-degree entertainment experiences for major brands and talent. Most recently the company created BMW’s Road to Coachella with Hans Zimmer, a unique partnership that paired the renowned composer and producer with BMW i to create a visually inspiring piece scored by Zimmer himself and enhanced with cameos of major Coachella performers. Mirrored also has partnered with VidCon’s largest brands including Awesomeness, Fullscreen and Live.me, amounting to 19 total activations. Prior to this venture, Lefkovitch was a professional magician. “Through a narrative woven with magic and illusion, I created moments of suspended disbelief and took people to a different place in time. I have harnessed this same storytelling ability through experiential marketing.”
What has been your biggest professional accomplishment to date?
I believe my biggest professional accomplishment to date has been the founding of Mirrored Media. While pursuing my undergraduate degree at Pepperdine University, I took a pie in the sky idea and wrote it out as a business plan. That plan became the seed of what Mirrored is today. Along the way, a lot of incredible people have believed in me, my vision, and my idea. I opened the doors to Mirrored Media 6 years ago and have had the absolute pleasure to call some of the best people in the business my partners, colleagues and clients. Since I started the company, Mirrored has ideated and executed award-winning, creative experiential campaigns for some of the largest brands and artists in the world. I’m extremely proud of the team I’ve built and the projects we continue to create.
What attracted you to this industry?
I was initially attracted to the industry of experiential marketing before I even knew what experiential marketing was. While working with singer/songwriter Ray Kennedy, I discovered the large gap between artists and the brands trying to work with them. I noticed each side was speaking their own unique language and had their own independent goals in mind. I saw the opportunity for a creative agency middle-man that understood both languages to help create campaigns that spoke to both sides and met both goals. That idea has since turned into Mirrored Media. While our scope of services has expanded, our basic purpose remains the same. We bridge that gap, helping brands connect to their target market through music and entertainment initiatives.
Before my work in music, my foundation in creating experiences was based in magic. As a young adult, I was a professional magician. Through a narrative woven with magic and illusion, I created moments of suspended disbelief and took people to a different place in time. I have harnessed this same storytelling ability through experiential marketing. The creative nature and the possibility for growth are what first attracted me to the space. It’s been exciting and rewarding to help shape the experiential industry as it come to the forefront of marketing and advertising.
Best piece of professional advice you’ve received?
Steve McBeth, my mentor and the founding president of Disney Interactive, once told me that it’s better to have a small piece of something large, than a large piece of something small. I have built my company with this in mind. I believe in creating a family that is emotionally invested in the company’s growth and future, bonded as a team who feels proud of each Mirrored success.