The story so far.

`I’ve always been kind of story-motivated: what makes meaning, what makes feeling? I learned how others did it on a Classics and English Literature degree. I learned how I could do it with a Masters in Creative Writing.

And I’ve been telling stories ever since: to creatives in briefs, with creatives in pitches, to audiences in film, in stunts, in products, in song. Building shared stories, in workshops from Chicago to Vienna. On stage to the industry in London, in Barcelona, in a Zoom window. The stories of founders and the stories of friends (two-time wedding celebrant, cheers). And maybe, the story of you.

David New York: Group Strategy Director

Lead strategist in the NY office for Ogilvy’s first-name little bro. Managing a NYC-MIA team.

Taking four Kimberly-Clark brands social-first: Huggies (brand architecture, two product launches), Pull-Ups (ditto), Depend (complete brand architecture, platform, brand world in a semi-secondment with Landor, Super Bowl spot incoming.). Kotex: Cannes Gold.
Supercell (campaign strategy lead for Clash of Clans, Clash Royale): Cannes Entertainment Agency Of The Year 2025 & 2026, Various lions from Bronze to Grand Prix. Increased Clash Royale acquisitions 9.1%, Clash of Clans installs rose by 150% WoW at launch.
Cointreau (pitched): +7% volume, 3bn impressions, One Show Bronze, D&AD Pencil.
CLIF (CLIF Bar, ZBar, Builders, LUNA).
Projects for Corona and Botanist Gin (pitched): Cannes Gold.
Supercell (campaign strategy lead for Clash of Clans, Clash Royale): Cannes Entertainment Agency Of The Year 2025 & 2026, Various lions from Bronze to Grand Prix. Increased Clash Royale acquisitions 9.1%, Clash of Clans installs rose by 150% WoW at launch.
Cointreau (pitched): +7% volume, 3bn impressions, One Show Bronze, D&AD Pencil.
CLIF (CLIF Bar, ZBar, Builders, LUNA).
Projects for Corona and Botanist Gin (pitched).

Saatchi & Saatchi London: Senior Strategy Director

A final stint at London’s best, and a chance to partner with Richard Huntington.

British Heart Foundation: brand campaign to tackle the biggest killer in Britain.
HSBC: Internal behavioural science workshop. Make retirement matter before it matters.
Direct Line: the UK’s favourite insurer. Campaigns from the traditional (Harvey Keitel) to the social (IoT-powered street crossing)
Saatchi Ignite: Teacher in a programme to show school-kids what we do.

Botany, the Strategic Storytelling House: Founder

Every brand needs to tell its story: to customers, to investors, to its own people. I led workshops, conducted founder interviews and wrote thousands of words of stories for startups in children’s book publishing, tech, plant-based meals, a gym, and even UNICEF.

VCCP London: Interim Strategy Director

O2: Campaign for new consumer propositions, and the chaos of Black Friday -> Christmas
VCCP Retail: rebooted the agency proposition for the age of Mixed Commerce
Shell: Rimula, the truck lubricant. Ran a study of truckers across China, India, US, Russia

Saatchi & Saatchi London: Strategy Director

Deutsche Telekom: T-Mobile for the non English-speaking world. Total repositioning.
National Grid, the UK’s power network.

Freelance Writer

Wonderbly (Children’s Publisher): Concepted and wrote first script for The Power Within,
a personalisation-powered graphic novel for 8-12 year olds
MadAboutPandas (Game Studio): Co-wrote pts 2 & 3 of Apple Arcade hit, Hitchhiker

Creature of London: Strategist

A hybrid strategy-creative existence with the brilliant Ed Warren. A brand new agency, I pitched, won and worked on Carling, Anchor Butter, Zoopla, Billington’s Sugar, Crusha, even NPD for Ryvita and Jordan’s Cereals. Proudest of the viral 2015 election broadcast for The Green Party: a mini-musical I wrote (and had to sing to chief donor, Vivienne Westwood.)