Hobart Birmingham and Perrin Anderson: A Decade of Trust, Fun and Jeff Goldblum
Above (L-R) : Hobart Birmingham and Perrin Anderson
“Personal taste and instinct are really important, but in a partnership, you both need to hold yourself true to the goal of making things better,” says Perrin Anderson, SVP, group creative director at RPA, talking of his longstanding creative partnership with fellow SVP, group creative director, Hobart Birmingham.
With a professional partnership spanning over a decade, and their time spent at the agency even longer than that, Hobart and Perrin have spent years working towards and surpassing that goal.
“We got along really well right off the bat,” says Perrin, reflecting on the early days of their partnership. “We had a lot in common: taste, the things we were into, [we] had lived in similar places, both drove old trucks, etc. Also, demeanour-wise, we both were pretty laid back and unflappable and didn’t take things too seriously, even though we both had ambition and a passion to do great work.”
Whilst their fashion senses might not have been so in sync – “What’s up with this guy? He tucks his shirts into his jeans,” Hobart remembers thinking – an understanding of each other's goals and aspirations was shared almost immediately. “My second impression was probably that he has a good work ethic and stamina,” Hobart adds.
Over a decade later, the duo have been responsible for creating standout creative for brands including Apartments.com, Homes.com, Honda and Farmers Insurance. This year marks 10 years of ‘The Place to Find a Place’ for Apartments.com. Starring Jeff Goldblum as Brad Bellflower, Hobart and Perrin have led the campaign since it began, and this year saw it awarded a Gold Effie Award for Sustained Success – a testament to the power of consistency, creativity and strategy working in cohesion.
“It's been fun. But to be able to win things like a Sustained Success award, it really comes down to our clients,” says Perrin, as he reflects on the work. “And the biggest compliment I can probably give our Apartments.com clients is that they react to ideas like humans. They seem to be able to look at an idea with the perspective of someone sitting at home on the couch, or scrolling a feed, while also asking themselves, ‘does this get across the message we want, and will it entertain them?’. It’s almost a forgotten perspective in this data-driven advertising world of today. So few still trust their guts, and it’s been wonderful to have these clients who do.”
“You have to create a big enough idea for the campaign and world for the brand,” adds Hobart. “If you can do that, it’s not hard to keep finding fresh stories, things to do, and evolve with new business challenges.”
Above, Apartments.com 'Secret 30'
Hobart and Perrin also led the creative for Homes.com, (the sister company to Apartments.com), taking the brand to the Super Bowl in 2024 and making a return for Super Bowl LIX this year. Both Hobart and Perrin talk of the uniqueness of the experience, and the pressure of hitting the mark on advertising’s biggest day of the year.
“I won’t pretend to know the secret but can tell you some things I’ve learned,” says Perrin. “You have to remember what a unique thing the Super Bowl is, and what it’s good for. You can’t ask an ad to do or say too much, which is extremely hard to do with the pressure of such a high-stakes big investment. You’re just trying to make something that stands out, connects, and leaves people with an awareness and positive impression of your brand.”
Hobart adds that in 2024 the team “bit off a bit more than we should have for the launch.” “Rather than just driving home a single point or creating a general awareness, we crammed too much into the spots, trying to bring awareness to too many aspects of the brand while also trying to break through, entertain, and all that other fun stuff you gotta do for the Super Bowl.”
Above, Homes.com Super Bowl 2024 spot
It was a learning experience, however, and this year, Homes.com returned with a refreshed yet dialled-down approach, “we did a much better job of focusing on a singular message, and it seemed to land much better,” says Hobart.
Above, Homes.com Super Bowl 2025 spot
The agency has grown considerably since Perrin and Hobart came into the fold. Perrin, who joined the agency as a copywriter in 2008, explains that the majority of clients were in the automotive space when he started, “the vast amount of work was for Honda and Acura. And we had the opportunity to launch pretty much every vehicle, and do a few big brand campaigns for both.”
RPA’s growth happened in tandem with Perrin’s, progressing from copywriter to SVP group creative director in 2023, his experience and expertise growing in tandem with the agency expanding its pool of clients. “The big reason for our long tenure is that the agency grew as we grew, and we had the opportunity to help it expand and diversify, leading other accounts, growing them, and adding new ones. It’s kept us challenged. The one thing that hasn’t changed much is the culture. There aren’t any assholes, and [there’s] minimal drama or politics. Honestly, that’s kind of been RPA’s thing: nice people.”
Hobart, who’s spent 21 years at the agency, continues to find the fun in every challenge. “We’re all aware how the ways in which we communicate and interact are always changing, and the agency is always shifting to stay on top of that,” he says. “But at the core, I’m still doing the same thing I was doing when I started, trying to solve a business problem with creativity and trying to have some fun while doing it.
“Getting to solve problems with creativity should be fun,” he adds. “It’s something you gotta remind the youth of from time to time. And if they don’t find that challenge fun, I’m not sure what they’re doing in this business.”
Above, Farmers Insurance, 'Sleigh Insurance'
That sense of fun is infused into Perrin and Hobart’s working dynamic, and reflects in the work itself, which often leads with humour and a light touch. “One thing I think we’ve learned together is to just go after the notions that make you laugh, but maybe seem too farfetched or ridiculous,” says Perrin. “Have that openness and confidence to just say, ‘What the hell? Let’s just go for it and see what it can be’. It always leads to the most inspired, memorable, and enjoyable work.”
It’s a creative partnership that thrives on collaboration and communication, with a fluency that’s come as a result of years of shared dialogue, brainstorms and briefs. Perrin explains, “Over the years, we’ve found a really organic ebb and flow to tackling things that works well for us – one of us starting something, the other picking it up and running, the other adding a little something, etc.”
Above all, Hobart and Perrin’s relationship aligns with RPA’s wider company focus, ‘People. Relationships. Results.’ For Hobart, he applies this to the work at hand, “It’s trying to keep the perspective and remind folks that ultimately, we’re talking to people in the midst of their lives. If you can find that truth that resonates with them, with real people, the relationships will form and the results will follow.”
Whilst Perrin shares that those three words are a ‘microcosm’ of the duo’s longstanding partnership. “If you have respect for people and can build a relationship of trust that you’re working towards the same thing, you’ll achieve great results.”
