Our world is now full of people who aren’t content to simply sit and watch; they want to create stuff. Some of it good. Some of it amazing. Most of it bad beyond words. All of it competing for eyes and ears, hearts and minds. And cash.
So, what was true when we first started in this business is still true today: brilliant ideas will get you noticed. And a brilliant idea doesn’t care about what channel it goes in.
So far this year
We’ve picked up a Grand Prix at the Drum Awards and two silvers at Creative Circle for ‘Tournamental’. The ‘Know Your Times’ campaign for The Times has just won a D&AD pencil. Next up Cannes and the BIG Awards.
Over the years
We’ve consistently created work that has won awards including 7 D&AD Pencils, 2 D&AD silvers, One Show, 4 Cannes Lions, Campaign Press, Campaign Poster, Campaign Direct, ANNAs, Eurobest, Creative Circle, BTAA, Kinsale, and the Grand Prix at Drum.
I worked with Greg for four years at Lowe Worldwide while I was the Global lead on Nokia and he was the Global Creative Director. It was a very exciting and innovative time for us all. Not only were we leading the integration of best in class cross discipline IPG agencies to deliver a single solution to the client, but a single media neutral creative idea led all thinking, overseen and managed through the agencies by Greg and his co creative director.
The global work was break through for an increasingly crowded marketplace in which we won awards for creativity, integration and even hit the top of the dance charts. The creative work Greg led was key in building Nokia’s multi media division which became Nokia’s fastest growing and most profitable business division (until 2009 when the iPhone changed the market). This in turn built Lowe and IPG’s Nokia revenue to £40m.
Greg not only led a very collaborative integrated creative team but it was then I saw Greg become a genuine ‘idea first’ media neutral creative. He is also one of the most strategic creatives I have worked with, always looking to understand the insight from which he can build fresh ideas that cut through.
Greg is passionate about building ideas, nurturing others and growing client’s business.
He is also a great bloke.
There is one fundamental difference between creatives who are very good Creative Directors, and those amongst that group who naturally elevate themselves to Executive Creative Director. The difference is they haven’t just mastered the executional craft skills necessary to produce world class creative ideas and campaigns, it is that they also have an extraordinary level of strategic understanding. They start not from the perspective of how to win creative awards, they start from the point of wanting to identify the problem to be solved. They get it right, then they execute to world class levels. Greg is the equal of any of the Executive Creative Directors I have worked with and I have been lucky to work with the likes of Trevor Beattie, Jeremy Sinclair, John Boiler, John Matthews, Ed Morris and Al Young. Having worked with Greg as my creative partner for 4 years I believe he is a massive asset to any agency or client.
Kieron worked directly with Greg at Lowe and Partners Worldwide.
Greg, along with Jay Frewell his partner in grime at the time came up with the breakthrough Domestos campaign Germworld which runs to this day and has been rolled out worldwide. Greg is a strong creative talent who has the self confidence and experience that allows him to work in a client facing team and deliver highquality executional and strategic results, he really takes time to understand a brief and the consumer before putting pen to paper and works to very high standards.
Sean was Greg’s client
Greg develop for us one of the most succesful advertising campaings ever. It still runs today and it is a best practice case study in Unilever. Together with his partner Jay they worked with us in a way I have not expoerience before or since then, being part of the team and taking the work forward with a lot of passion and commitment
Marcos was Greg’s client
Greg has the talent to turn complicated product messages into intriguing advertising concepts. He creates marketing communication that tells a strong story both visually and verbally. Greg involves the client in the creative process, which makes the collaboration a fruitful and fun process. He is an asset for any team that works on challenging international assignments.