In the chaotic, buzzing world of ad tech, Andy Oakes stands out like a kid in a candy store who decided to build the store himself—using a giant bin of LEGO bricks he insists on rearranging daily. With one foot firmly in PR and the other planted in media, Oakes has assembled a career that’s both unconventional and unapologetically subversive, stacking “truth” and “spin” in a tower that somehow never
topples. The latest episode of The ADOTAT Show had him pulling back the curtain—well, maybe just a little—on what it’s like to manage both a PR agency and a media outlet. And let’s just say, he’s the ad tech equivalent of a LEGO architect who just can’t resist adding a few extra flourishes—even if it means the structure gets a little wobbly.
In conversation with The ADOTAT Show’s host, Pesach Lattin, Andy doesn’t just shrug off the usual critiques; he
leans into them with a kind of wry humor only someone who’s seen a lifetime’s worth of hype cycles can pull off. When Lattin playfully prodded him with, “How do you convince people you're not just writing your own glowing headlines and pushing a PR narrative disguised as journalism?” Oakes didn’t miss a beat. “There’s enough people in our industry who do that anyway,” he shot back, acknowledging the industry’s penchant for self-promotion with a self-awareness only a true insider can pull off. He
continued, “If we think the trade media is whiter than white, we’re kidding ourselves. Every trade mag out there takes paid content.” For Oakes, he’s simply taken this well-worn LEGO blueprint and closed the loop by merging media with PR—“We’ve closed off the circle, if you like.”
Oakes is blunt, borderline provocative, but you get the sense it’s because he’s lived in the trenches long enough to see the flaws up close. In a world where everyone is constantly
stacking bricks into towering, sky-high ambitions, Andy’s approach is a little different. He’s content to build sideways, adding breadth and stability rather than just height. If that ruffles a few feathers? Well, that’s part of the fun.
Aging in Ad Tech: “The Industry’s Stuck Like a Troubled Teenager”
But it’s not all smooth building in Andy’s ad tech LEGO-land. As someone who’s spent years watching the industry reinvent itself, he’s not just feeling his
age—he’s watching ad tech grapple with its own awkward growth spurts. With a deep sigh only someone seasoned in the industry’s endless cycle of disruption can manage, Andy confessed to feeling like a relic at the latest ad tech conferences. “I go to so many ad tech events now,” he shared, “and I worry I’m fast becoming the oldest man in the room unless Terry Kawaja is there.” And you can almost hear the nostalgic chuckle that follows, as if he’s looking back on a younger version of himself who
didn’t see the writing on the wall. It’s a sentiment familiar to anyone who’s been in a field that moves at the speed of light, each new “revolution” piling new bricks onto the foundation before anyone’s had a chance to inspect the last layer.
But Andy’s perspective on the industry’s maturity crisis goes beyond his personal reflections on aging. He’s noticed that the industry itself hasn’t quite managed to grow up. “Terry said at the last event that it’s a silly
industry because it’s never entirely rationalized itself,” Oakes explained, recalling a line from Kawaja that lingers like an unfinished LEGO set gathering dust. Ad tech, he muses, is still the “troubled teenager” of industries—constantly seeking the “next big thing” but refusing to refine and optimize the blocks it’s already built. While finance, healthcare, and other fields have set down firm foundations, ad tech is still chasing after flashy bricks, constantly reaching for the next colorful
addition rather than stabilizing what’s already in place. “We haven’t had the consolidation we needed. It’s never gone through that period of maturity,” he says, and he’s right: ad tech’s DNA is rooted in restlessness, in a refusal to settle down and stop reaching for the next big block.
In a way, Oakes seems to both admire and pity this quality. It’s what keeps ad tech innovative, sure, but it’s also what keeps the industry in a constant state of flux. And while
he may not be thrilled about being the elder statesman at every conference, there’s a sense that he’s comfortable with his position as a wise builder in a world full of impatient architects.
The LEGO Tower of Buzzwords (and the Barometer for BS)
In the world of ad tech, buzzwords are like those shiny, rare LEGO pieces that no one really needs but can’t resist adding to their collection. They’re flashy, they’re trendy, and they make everything look just a
little more impressive—until you realize they don’t actually make the structure any stronger. Andy, however, has a finely tuned BS barometer for these overused phrases, and he’s not afraid to call them out. “My BS detector goes off when someone mentions, ‘we’ve got a unique proposition,’” he laughs, rolling his eyes at the all-too-familiar claim. His take? There are no more unique propositions—just slightly shinier blocks stacked on the same old foundation. It’s about as refreshing as a LEGO set
that admits it’s really just a bunch of reused pieces from last year’s model.
For Andy, the key isn’t in finding the “new and unique” but in recognizing the value of what’s already there. He trusts people more than products, often looking to industry veterans who’ve been around the block (or brick) a few times. “You’ve got to trust the people who’ve done it before,” he says, reflecting a loyalty to those who understand the foundation. While he’s quick to point out
that the industry has its fair share of “people who bounce around companies” like stray bricks in a LEGO box, he reserves his respect for those who’ve built something real and lasting. To him, it’s the people who add value to the system, not the latest shiny product or buzzword-laden pitch.
In an industry addicted to hype, Andy’s perspective is refreshingly grounded. He’s not swayed by the flashy, limited-edition LEGO pieces that everyone’s scrambling to get their
hands on. Instead, he’s focused on building a structure that’s stable, sustainable, and perhaps a little less glamorous—but one that will stand the test of time.
Building with Transparency: Keeping the LEGO Tower Stable
Andy Oakes knows the delicate balance he’s walking as both a PR agency owner and media outlet head. There’s a thin line between storytelling and selling, and Andy’s approach is to be upfront about where he stands. “Whenever we write about a
BlueStripe Communications client, you’ll see that we reflect that every single time,” he says, pointing out the transparency that keeps his LEGO tower from collapsing. He’s fully aware that running both PR and media might make some industry insiders raise their eyebrows, but he’s firm in his stance: it’s all about honesty. In fact, he admits that they’re often harder on their own clients than on others. “If a PR team from BlueStripe pitches a story, we’ll judge that exactly the same as any other
PR pitch,” he notes. For Oakes, transparency isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the critical piece that holds the entire construction together.
The PR-media blend he’s created is rare, and he knows it comes with its own unique set of challenges. But in his eyes, he’s merely expanding on a model that’s already prevalent in trade media. “Every trade mag out there takes paid content. Every trade mag out there does branded content partnership divisions,” he says. He’s
just made it explicit, embracing the dual role openly rather than hiding behind a façade of journalistic purity. And, as he points out, it’s a model that’s worked for seven years. That longevity speaks for itself in an industry that often treats businesses like disposable LEGO sets, dismantling them as quickly as they’re built.
Oakes is keenly aware that some might accuse him of being the “media version of a double agent,” playing both sides to his advantage. But
he’s unbothered. To him, it’s about pushing the industry to evolve rather than clinging to outdated models. “The B2B trade press needed a kick up the backside,” he states bluntly, noting the complacency he believes the industry has fallen into. His mission? Build something different, something that actually reflects the messy, complex world of ad tech—a world where storytelling and PR are often inextricably linked, no matter how much some might want to pretend otherwise.
So, What's
Keeping Him Up at Night? Empty Nests and the “Terrifying” Cupboard of Mugs
For someone whose professional life is filled with the dizzying pace of ad tech, Andy’s personal world has its own twists. Recently, he’s had a big shift: his daughter moved out, leaving him with a home that’s both eerily quiet and full of unexpected discoveries. “I suddenly realized how many glasses and mugs we own,” he muses, describing the bittersweet nature of this newfound silence.
“They’ve all come out of our offspring’s bedrooms,” he notes with a laugh. It’s a familiar scenario for any parent, but the way he talks about it, you get the sense that these mugs aren’t just objects—they’re relics, each one a reminder of countless days gone by. It’s the emotional equivalent of finding an old, half-finished LEGO set and remembering the excitement of building it for the first time.
When asked how he copes with the unpredictable nature of both his
business and his life, he’s candid. “It’s deep breaths and Malbec,” he says with a shrug, noting that in ad tech, a bit of aged wine is as essential as any business strategy. For Oakes, the mantra is simple: Problems come, problems go, and as long as you’ve got the right blocks in place, the tower will hold. His approach to life—and to business—is one of resilience, of taking each challenge as it comes and finding a way to build something stable out of whatever pieces are on hand. It’s a
philosophy that serves him well, both in the unpredictable world of ad tech and in the quiet, mug-filled corners of his personal life.
The Legacy Brick: Just a “Good Bloke” Who Built Something that Lasts
As he reflects on his career, Andy doesn’t claim to be building some monumental LEGO empire to rival the ad tech giants. He’s not interested in being the tallest tower on the block. “I just want people to think I was a good bloke,” he says, brushing aside
any notions of industry domination. He’s the guy who “always bought his round” and kept the mood light—even when the industry seemed like it might collapse under the weight of its own buzzwords. For Andy, his legacy isn’t about towering above others; it’s about building something solid, something that people can look at and say, “Yeah, that’s been put together with care.”
In a world full of ad tech towers built on shifting sands, Andy Oakes has managed to stack his
blocks with surprising balance, a touch of irreverence, and an enduring sense of humor. He’s seen it all—the hype cycles, the buzzwords, the endless parade of “unique propositions” that aren’t really unique at all. And through it all, he’s stayed true to his own vision, building sideways rather than up, focusing on stability over spectacle. And while he may not leave behind a skyscraper, what he’s built is something that will stand the test of time. In the end, that’s what matters to him: being
remembered as a builder who put the blocks together with integrity, humor, and maybe just a little bit of mischief.
