Biography
I am the former Creative Director of Cunning, the world’s first specialized guerrilla and non-traditional advertising agency.
I spent my formative years at Cunning London before moving to NYC in 2004 to help set up the shop in the US market.
At the beginning of 2012, I set up my own Creative consulting business.
I bring over a decade of global, Fortune 500 experience developing marketing platforms and tactics that demand attention, earn engagement and spur audience action.
My thinking encompasses digital, ARG, social, event concepts, ambient, guerrilla marketing, PR Stunts and related shenanigans.
I believe that in a world where media can be anything, the idea has to be everything.
In short, I develop ideas to sell your stuff.
I have over 2,000 amazing production contacts across the world, so I will make the ideas happen when needed or work with incumbents where appropriate.
I’m also the founder of @twipple twitter’s random acts of kindness feed which the Huffington Post called:
“The most thoughtful use of twitter we’ve seen.”
I’m the founder and CD of http://www.WorldsFastestAgency.com
Past and present clients: Mini Cooper, Levi’s, Unilever, HSBC, NBC, Cadbury Adams, BMW Dubai, Vodafone Australia, JWT, BBH, ESPN, Virgin, Zenith Media.
I’ve lectured at the London College of Printing and New York University as well as to a wide variety of global media companies, including the BBC, the New York Times, the Financial Times, Wired, National Public Radio and numerous industry blogs.
I enjoy developing creative thinking techniques and use my experience in NLP to destroy creative blocks within myself and others.
“Pregnant with marketing genius.” - ADWEEK
“Can always be relied on for fresh thinking.” Jon Wilkins, Founder, Naked
“All round box-free thinker.” - CNET
“Off the page, in your face.” - BRANDWEEK
“One of the most notable accomplished thought-leaders in his sector.” - Richard Powell, Vice-Consul Creative & Digital Media UK Trade and Investment
Below is a small selection of work from 1998 to the Present.
Featuring yours truly, this fascinating BBC documentary clip looks into the world of The Persuaders.
They made me do that awful intro part…
GUERRILLA: FHM Projection
I began my career shivering on Westminster Bridge enjoying what would be called “The Stunt of the century” by the BBC.
Media Impacts: 40 million
PR STUNT: Floating Football Field
The last time footy was played on the Thames was over 300 years ago when the river froze.
For Dockers, grabbing media attention and creating word of mouth was the name of the game with our floating football field.
Radio competitions, promo staff and an online “spot the ball” competition supported the stunt.
EXPERIENTIAL: BA’s London Beach
London’s first and only real sand beach was created to drive awareness for BA’s Caribbean Holidays.
Situated in Covent Garden, the public were invited to play beach games, enter sweepstakes and drink at the beach bar
Media coverage value: $2 million.
CAMPAIGN: MINI Cooper
Working on MINI for 4 years, right from the start of the brand’s rebirth was a fantastic time of learning, experimentation and success for both agency and client.
Working from a strategy of “make driving fun again” we developed communication to run through below-the-line channels: guerrilla, events, experiential, ambient, parties and sponsorship partnerships
We sold 60K cars in year one making it the best selling small car of all time, globally.
MEDIA FIRST: VoiceVertising
Having just arrived in the US to join Cunning NYC, I thought I should announce myself by selling my voice on eBay.
Cadbury’s took up the offer and sponsored me to yell “Hall’s Fruit Breezers” at the top of my lungs around NYC landmarks.
115 million Americans heard the results via CNN, Fox News, Yahoo News and pretty much every other major news channel.
I wish I’d unbuttoned that jacket…
AMBIENT: The Lost Sock
To promote Syfy Channel’s new mini-series, The Triangle, we turned to the tag line for inspiration:
“Nothing Stays Lost Forever.”
With a sly nod to the eternal mystery of always losing one sock at the laundry, Cunning NYC printed the single socks with the tag line and web address before placing them in wash and folds across 10 States.
“The centerpiece of a $10 million campaign” WSJ
RETAIL: HSBC Live Theater
To bolster the “Your Point of View” campaign, Cunning NYC developed and produced live theater in the windows of the flagship 5th Avenue store, NYC.
Bank account openings at the branch more than doubled.
INTEGRATED: Dove
The PitiCure™ concept was developed and implemented by Cunning NYC to educate people about the new deodorant’s ability to “minimize the look and feel of underarm hair over time.”
Campaign included banner ads, FEP advertising, sampling, sponsorships and the PitiCure™ Experience tour.
Watch the video here: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fCJ-L8ZBxaA
VIRAL VIDEO: John’s Phone
The beauty of being the “Ideas Man” is you have a license to play and experiment.
The John’s Phone unboxing video was my “viral video” experiment.
The readers of CNET, Gizmodo, PSFK and 680,000 YouTube viewers got to witness my tragic Movember ‘tash.
@twipple started in 2009 and was twitter’s first random acts of kindness feed.
The Huffington Post ran a piece on the project, calling it, “The most thoughtful use of twitter we’ve seen.”
Watch a movie of @twipple in action on the streets of New York here.
