Type: Experiential Live Show
Six Flags Qiddiya is a hugely ambitious project, set to launch in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
*All images from TESTING phase. Details of the project remain confidential until opening.
The stakeholders from Qiddiya and Six Flags wanted an experiential, never-seen or done before live show to be the centre piece of the Theme Park experience.
As the creative director on the project, I led the creative development for over a year from pre-conception to testing. Together with the ECD I conceptualised and wrote 6 highly ambitious live shows - 6 Day Shows for children and 1 mega night-time spectacle.
The hugely challenging and ambitious project involved extensive 2D and 3D animation, creation of unique stories, characters and IP. The show itself plays out through large-scale projection mapping on an enormous domed tent and a building, combined with a colossal 360 degree LED sphere, live acting and choreography, visual effects and music.
For the duration of the project I managed teams of visual artists and animators, and led complex review stages, stakeholder presentations and client discussions, ensuring project milestones were met at every stage.
Role: Creative Director / Writer
Agency: Filmworks Group
Client: Qiddiya / Six Flags
Date: 2023 - 2025
Type: Digital Campaign (UAE / Saudi Arabia)
Home Centre wanted to break expected (dare I say boring) Ramadan ad norms in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. So, we wrote this uniquely edgy, bold and funny digital first campaign that would flip Ramadan on its head. The “Heist” played on the insight that all moms, hosts and hostesses have a “master plan” for the perfect Iftar celebration. We had loads of fun referencing classic heist movies to bring it life, making it cheeky and shareable. The campaign got loads of traction on social media throughout Ramadan.
CREDITS
Role: Writer / ACD
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Client: Home Centre
Director: Mark Middlewick
Date: 2023
We used the Wall Street Bull’s “most checked balls on earth” to raise awareness for testicular cancer by turning social media comments into lifesaving reminders - reaching more people than ever in an unexpected way.
AWARDS
Cannes Lions: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
New York Festivals: 1 Gold
CREDITS
Role: Associate Creative Director
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Client: Testicular Cancer Society
Date: 2023
To launch Atlantis the Royal Dubai we collaborated with DJ Tiesto, Tate McCrae and Ryan Tedder to create an international hit single and music video, inspired by and created for the Royal itself.
CREDITS
Role: Associate Creative Director
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Client: Atlantis the Royal
Director: Courtney Phillips
Date: 2022
Type: Digital Campaign
To launch Adidas’ new sports leisure range in the Middle East for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we adopted a bold and gritty approach. The phrase “Bring it” spoke directly to the heart and attitude of Gen Z in a fast-changing Arabic landscape, while mixed media and graphic effects on gritty visuals gave the film the edge and energy befitting of this new generation of Arabic trendsetters.
CREDITS
Role: Writer / ACD
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Client: Adidas
Director: Amin Soltani
Date: 2022
Type: Digital Campaign
Toyota wanted to market the Corolla by featuring tech and innovation, talking loads of features in a not-so-boring way. And so the “Robots” were created: a team of lovable robots hard at work at the Toyota factory, creating the new Corolla.
The robots were each voiced by South Africa’s top comedians, including Schalk Bezuidenhout and Gilli Apter.
It was the perfect solve for Toyota as we could create several laugh-out-loud digital films, each talking about a new feature, each as shareable as the last.
The campaign was a huge success, generating thousands of views, likes and laughs on social media.
CREDITS:
Role: Writer
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
We launched Atlantis the Royal, the world’s most ultra-luxury resort, with an ambitious 360° campaign that generated several millions of views and garnered extensive international news coverage. It Included: an iconic brand platform “This is it”, an international hit music video “10:35” featuring DJ Tiesto and Tate Mcrae and a live performance by Beyonce at the grand opening.
CREDITS
Role: Associate Creative Director
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Client: Atlantis the Royal
Date: 2022
For more than 10 years, children in Syria have been going to bed to the sounds of war. Babyshop teamed up with Spiritune and UNHCR to find a unique solution. We worked with neuroscientists and Syrian musician Ghaliaa Chaker to create a unique and effective Arabic lullaby, and played it every night at bedtime across Syria, to replace the sounds of war with a lullaby of peace.
AWARDS
Cannes Lions: 3 Bronze
D&AD: 1 Graphite, 1 Wood
Clio: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze
New York Festivals: 1 Gold
CREDITS
Role: Associate Creative Director
Artist: Ghaliaa Chaker
Agency: FP7 McCann Dubai
Client: Babyshop
Partners: UNHCR, Spiritune
Date: 2023
Type: TVC and Digital Campaign
Success: The main TVC for the campaign was recognised with an Orchid in November 2020
Wrote this entertaining, and relevant TV and social campaign to launch the new Fortuner. The campaign, including one main TVC and 5 social videos, was launched after a 7 month period of various lockdown restrictions in South Africa, with cheeky reference to the “new normal” and unpacking what the “The Luxury of Freedom” truly means. The campaign played on relatable lockdown insights to position the new Fortuner as the key to rediscovering your freedom in a time when freedom of movement had felt very much restricted.
CREDITS
Ad Directed by Adrian de Sa Garces
Role: Copywriter
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Toyota
Date: September 2017
Type: TV Commercial
Context: In South African slang, a “chop” is someone considered an oblivious fool, the type of person you find yourself regularly shaking your head at.
Created and wrote the “Chop” concept with Mbeu “Snooze” Kambuwa. The idea was taken further with the input of Executive Creative Director, Tian van den Heever (FCB Johannesburg) and director, Morgan Dingle (Your Girlfriend).
Directed by Morgan Dingle (Your Girlfriend)
Type: Social Campaign
Pizza Hut UAE wanted to launch the Triple Treat Box in a super-fun way that embodied the joy of the product itself - three layers of delicious pizza, what’s better than that?!. The strategy was to target Gen Z and social media users, making their feed more fun with snappy short content that leveraged popular Reels / TikTok trends at the time.
Most of the campaign featured Pizza Hut’s lovable ambassador Phrank - leading the on trend content, with his unique quirky style of humour.
CREDITS:
Role: Writer
Agency: MC Saatchi UAE
Date: 2021
Co-writer of Savanna’s 2017 TVC working with FCB Cape Town to launch Savanna’s new the strategic positioning: “Savanna, the Unapologetic Cider”
Ad Directed by Greg Gray.
CREDITS
Role: Copywriter
Agency: FCB Cape Town
Client: Savanna
Date: September 2017
Type: TV Commercial
Wrote, produced and co-directed these content pieces as part of a campaign to launch Launch Digital Agency’s revolutionary web-design offering in South Africa.
CREDITS
Role: Writer, Director, Producer
Agency: Freelance Project
Client: Launch Digital Agency
Date: 2020
Type: Digital Campaign
Writer and creative director on this TV commercial for Douwe Egberts premium range of instant coffees to launch their new “It’s that good” strategy.
CREDITS
Directed: Shaun James
Role: Copywriter / Creative Director
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Douwe Egberts
Date: 2021
Type: TV Commercial
Co-wrote this popular commercial with Mbeu “Snooze” Kambuwa to introduce the Stylish new Aygo.
Directed by Morgan Dingle (Your Girlfriend)
CREDITS
Role: Copywriter
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Toyota
Date: 2018
Type: TV Commercial
Success:
Orchid winner March 2018
Wrote this TV commercial with Mbeu “Snooze” Kambuwa to introduce the stylish new Corolla Hatch. The ad includes an original composed track.
Directed: Morgan Dingle (Your Girlfriend)
CREDITS
Role: Copywriter
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Toyota
Date: 2018
Type: TV Commercial
We launched Thinkwell’s revolutionary once-a-week Omega 3 with this comedic ad that poked fun at the everyday struggles of taking less effective Omega 3’s every single day.
Role: Creative Director / Talent
Client: Thinkwell / Launch Digital
Date: 2021
Type: Social Campaign / Brand Launch
We conceptualised an all new look and mood for the launch of WingStreet in Kuwait - referencing edgy street culture with a grungy yet fun and accessible tone.
The campaign positioned WingStreet as the ultimate and tastiest wing out there, no contest: “Don’t wing it, WingStreet it.”
WingStreet was about to take tastebuds by storm in Kuwait and we took to social media to spread the news through a whole bunch of short, sharp and authentic social videos that felt true to hanging out with friends on the street, or wherever.
CREDITS:
Role: Writer / Co Director
Agency: MC Saatchi UAE
Year: 2021
Success:
x1 Bronze Loerie (Film), Loeries 2019
x1 Gold Loerie (Integrated Campaign)
*as part of the successful 2018/2019 Share a Coke Campaign.
The 7 “Share a Sound” videos accumulated over 2 Million Views online in just over a month.
Description:
Worked with Mbeu “Snooze” Kambuwa to write and direct these fun online videos.
“Share a Sound” was conceptualised as a quirky and entertaining way to educate South Africans on how to pronounce some of the unique sounds we find in our languages and our names.
Role: Writer and Director
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Coca Cola
Date: 2018/ 2019
Type: Digital Campaign
Success:
X1 Bronze Loerie (Digital Communications), Loeries 2020
Trended across South African Twitter for a full 5 days.
661 million impressions on Twitter in 5 days
50.1 million people reached
Description:
Conceptualised and directed this highly conceptual stunt alongside co-creator Mbeu “Snooze” Kambuwa. Further help from copywriter Marvin Mpanda and production team Lance van Rensburg and Nkateko Minyuku. Credit also to Hey Papa Legend Studios for composing the campaign’s original track.
CREDITS
Role: Writer, Director, Editor
For: FCB Johannesburg / Debonairs
Date: 2019
Type: Viral stunt and integrated campaign
JUST ANOTHER ROAD
Success:
X2 Gold Loeries 2018
X2 Gold Pendorings 2018
Wrote and directed this award-winning radio piece in combination with partner Mbeu “Snooze” Kambuwa, written and performed in Se Pitori, a unique local South African urban language.
We wanted to show that with Toyota Hilux’s Hill Assist what looks like an uphill is only just another road - both on the road and in life.
The use of “Aaaahs” and “Yeeeahs” reference life’s ups and downs, while also embodying the joy of the Hill Assist Feature. But, the “Aaaahs” are only ever the illusion of a challenge, as we see the stories go from good to better. Because, to the Hilux driver there are no uphills…just another road.
CREDITS
Role: Copywriter / Director
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Toyota
Date: 2018
Type: Radio Campaign
Wrote and directed these short content pieces on a shoe-string budget, to bring Netflorist’s new brand ambassador, “Bra Gift” to life over the festive season.
CREDITS
Role: Writer and Director
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Netflorist
Date: 2019
Type: Digital Campaign
——-
RADIO
Success:
x1 Graphite Pencil at D&AD in London 2017 (As part of the War of Words Campaign)
x1 Bronze Loerie (Loeries 2016)
x2 Silver Pendoring
I was asked to write this mixed language radio ad as part of the multi-award winning Netflorist War of Words Campaign (Conceptualised by Thabang Manyelo and Tshepo Moseou)
CREDITS
Role: Writer
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Netflorist
Date: 2016
Success:
x1 Graphite Pencil at D&AD in London 2017 (As part of the War of Words Campaign)
x1 Bronze Loerie (Loeries 2016)
x2 Silver Pendoring
I was asked to write this mixed language radio ad as part of the multi-award winning Netflorist War of Words Campaign (Conceptualised by Thabang Manyelo and Tshepo Moseou)
CREDITS
Role: Writer
Agency: FCB Johannesburg
Client: Netflorist
Date: 2016
