The Last Few Years...
Since 2015 I have been working as a freelance creative director and copywriter. I’ve worked on a number of projects, some big, some small, some advertising, some strategic, some editorial. I’ve worked both through agencies and direct with clients. But that hardly tells the whole story. In partnership with an ex-client and a with a global planning director, I’ve also been running workshops on advertising ideas and how clients and agencies can work better with each other. I’ve fulfilled a long-held ambition to develop and produce a product (it’s a cycling glove with a difference, since you ask). And I’ve learnt more than I ever wanted to about running a business.
Before that...
Publicis was awarded a chunk of the P&G account in 2005. I was appointed creative director to run this shiny new piece of business. At this time the account comprised Bounty paper towels, Charmin toilet tissue and Vicks. We made one commercial a year for each brand, if we were lucky. I was determined that when I took on this challenge I’d make it something that was not just a new business win but also made ads that the Agency could be proud of.
By 2011 the account had grown to seven times the size. We now handle Oral-B and Vicks for Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, Australia and India. We’ve also picked up a clutch of awards, including a Euro EFFIE in 2010 and two D&AD entries in 2010 and 2015. Not bad, eh?
In 2009 P&G sold the Bounty and Charmin brands to SCA, the Swedish paper products giant. We pitched for the account and won Bounty (now Plenty). And picked up Tempo Europe along the way. Awards weren’t far behind with Best International Animation for Tempo in 2014.
As if this wasn’t enough I was also asked to be creative director on United Biscuits, one of Publicis’ highest profile domestic brands. From grudgingly producing one poster in a year, we put it back on track both creatively and financially. So much so, that they decided to move the business last year. But not before we’d won a Creative Circle award for our Hula Hoops Integrated Campaign.
The Early Years...
I have worked at Publicis since the early 1990’s. Before taking on the role of creative director, I worked on pretty much every account the agency has held. This includes a long stint on Renault where I produced some iconic work on the brand and in the latter part became responsible for the account. I have also worked on Mastercard, Ballantine’s whisky, Perrier, Penguin Biscuits, Guinness Bitter and MFI, to name just a few.
But what about the work? You can see it here. There’s a selection of work from the accounts I ran at Publicis including P&G, hopefully with a few surprises. And there’s also a selection of other work from the early days.