BREAKING BRANDS INTO CULTURE, ONE ICON AT A TIME
TURNING BRAND STRATEGIES INTO CULTURAL MOMENTS. Been there, done THAT. READY FOR MORE.
From icons like Cadbury and Mercedes to reshaping AMV/BBDO’s culture, I’ve learned one truth: culture moves fast — and strategic mischief HELPS US KEEP PACE.
HOW WE TURN STRATEGY INTO CULTURAL SPARK
FIND THE FRACTURE
Uncover the human tension your brand can lean into—not a trend to chase, but a rift to riff on. That’s where culture gets interesting.
BUILD THE MOMENT
Bring it to life in the wild: an experience, an image, an idea people want to share. Because brands don’t just tell stories—they become stories.
TWIST THE STORY
Shape a bold, sticky narrative that doesn’t just talk at people—but pulls them in. Through myth, mischief, or meaning
FIVE YEARS. ONE RADICAL TRANSFORMATION. A CULTURE SHIFT THAT REDEFINED AN AGENCY.
FIVE YEARS. ONE MISSION. TRANSFORM THE UK'S BIGGEST AGENCY. AS CO-INNOVATION DIRECTOR, I LED AMV/BBDO FROM TV-FIRST TO CULTURE-FIRST.
NEW DEPARTMENTS. NEW CAPABILITIES. NEW REPUTATION. WE DIDN'T JUST WIN BUSINESS. WE WON IN CATEGORIES WE'D NEVER ENTERED.
BREAKING BRANDS INTO CULTURE.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
Gorilla
THE GORILLA THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
The amazing Fallon team had the iconic idea. Client nerves nearly killed it.
My role? Reframe it as Cadbury's evolution into a content brand, not just a confectionery company, to take its place in DIGITAL CULTURE. Workshops galore. One breakthrough moment.
Sometimes strategy's greatest achievement is helping brilliance survive.
MERCEDES:
ESCAPE THE MAP
FROM CAR ADS TO INTERACTIVE WORLDS
UK's first long-form brand experience. Users drove the narrative through a dystopian adventure.
Results: Younger audience engaged. 1.15:1 payback in 5 months. Mercedes proved premium brands could innovate digitally.
We didn't just change the campaign. We changed what Mercedes could be.
YOU ARE THE BIG PICTURE
We turned people into the CAMPAIGN—literally.
Global repositioning through participation. People uploaded photos. We projected them onto landmarks from London to Singapore.
Impact: 2M visits. 87 countries. Brand consideration +14pts. Positive sentiment +17%.
Bonus: €200,000 for Save the Children.
Purpose meets participation.
#YOUDRIVE
TWITTER MEETS TV. VIEWERS TAKE THE WHEEL.
UK first: Live TV chase controlled by Twitter votes. Real-time storytelling.
15M reached. 100K tweets in 2 nights. Site visits +140%.
Mercedes didn't just join the conversation. They let culture drive.
ADAM & JANE
BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE SOAP—NOW INTERACTIVE
Transformed passive viewers into active participants. Nearly 2M people voted on life moments—proposals, pregnancies, weddings.
BT went from utility to cultural fixture. Emotional connection through collective storytelling.
AIRPORT TRUCKS
AIRPORT TRUCKS KEEPING THE JOY ALIVE
Post-Gorilla: How do you follow an icon? By becoming a content brand.
Created an interactive playground. Invited creators to remix. Millions of views. Cadbury transformed from advertiser to publisher of joy.
CHANGING PLACES
CHANGING PLACES: INCLUSION AS PROVOCATION
We helped Tesco back the Changing Places movement, 100+ fully accessible facilities. First major UK retailer to commit.
4.1M impressions. +77 sentiment. Then we challenged every competitor to match it.
Real change > Corporate purpose.
ICONIC BRANDS TESTIMONIALS
