NovemNine
Independent thinking. Creative direction.

Good thinking.
Work that matters.

Brand strategy, creative direction and communications. A selection of the thinking and work of Jon Schaaf.

Explore the work ↓
01 / Selected work

The work speaks.
The thinking matters.

Selected campaigns, independent recognition and a look at the thinking behind the work.

01 / AVIS · BRAND PLATFORM

Your Journey Matters

An EMEA brand platform designed to make car rental feel more human, shifting the focus from the vehicle to the people and reasons behind every journey.

If the video won’t play in a local file preview, use the YouTube link below. We’ll test embedded playback on Cloudflare Pages.

The challenge. Build trust and a more distinctive, relatable voice for Avis across EMEA, without losing the clarity people expect from the brand.

The approach. Put the people and meaning behind each trip first. The platform builds naturally on Avis’s longstanding “We Try Harder” commitment, with creative and messaging developed to work across different markets and languages.

My involvement. I worked closely with Collective to jointly develop the brand platform, then co-led the creative development and delivery alongside the agency and our in-house Content Studio.

Watch on YouTube ↗Marketing Week ↗LBB interview ↗Collective case study ↗
02 / AVIS · CAMPAIGN

Every Mile a Memory

An example of how emotion and storytelling can make car rental feel more human.

If the video won’t play in a local file preview, use the YouTube link below. We’ll test embedded playback on Cloudflare Pages.

View on YouTube ↗
03 / AVIS · CREATIVE EFFECTIVENESS

More Than Just Luggage

An emotional take on car rental, recognised by System1 as its Ad of the Week in September 2026.

5.9System1 Star Rating
within the custom target audience

The Avis campaign film isn't linked here yet; official publication on the Avis channel is still to come.

Read System1's review ↗View public report ↗
04 / BUILDING THE CAPABILITY

Building the
studio.

Creating the people, processes and production capability to deliver creative work across markets.

A more detailed case study will follow.

02 / Behind NovemNine

Good ideas are one thing.
Making them happen is another.

I'm Jon. A brand and creative marketing leader with a strategic head, a creative streak and a genuine love for what I do.

I enjoy getting to the heart of a problem, finding a different way to look at it and working with talented people to turn good thinking into great work.

My experience spans international brand campaigns, creative direction and building teams that deliver. I care about the ideas, the details, the people behind the work and, importantly, whether any of it actually makes a difference.

NovemNine is a home for the work I've helped shape and the people I've made it with. It's a portfolio, not an agency pitch.

03 / Contact

Something worth
talking about?

For interesting opportunities, collaborations or a conversation about brands and creativity.

Get in touch ↗