Brand strategy & creative studio
Brand strategy and creative for marketers and agencies, with hand-picked partners when the brief needs them. Led by Philippa Heal.
[ 01 ] — The idea
Useful first.
[ 02 ] — The work
Hover to see the film.Tap a film to play it.
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Showmax ProShowmax In-house62%more sign-ups 46%lower CPALaunching live sport across Africa. Multi-awarded. Project →
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Game of ThronesShowmax In-house281%uplift in viewershipRecruiting the Night’s Watch for the final season. #1 trending app. Project →
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Investec Private BankWundermanAfrica’s highestTwitter content-value rating“More than data.” Silver and Bronze Bookmarks. Project →
Work from previous agency and in-house roles.More work →
Brands I’ve worked on
Coca-ColaAudiVodacomShowmaxYocoInvestecOM BankFNBNiveaUnileverMastercardKFCGSKMTNNestlé
[ 03 ] — Who you get
I’ve presented the work, and I’ve been the one defending it to the board the next morning. Agency side at Ogilvy, TBWA, Publicis and more; client side at Showmax and Yoco.
- Writer
- Creative Director
- Executive Creative Director
Off the clock: Literature and business school graduate. Once taught English to monks in Nepal and have a fondness for Buddhism. Still write my own lines.
- 20+Years
- 50+Awards
- 7African markets
- 9Pitch wins
“By a rather wide margin one of the most strategic creative directors I have ever worked with… obsessive about work that delivers against business objectives.”
[ 04 ] — Services
I lead every engagement. Partners join as the work demands.
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What you get
- Brief shaping & creative reviews
- Campaign & platform direction
- Team and agency leadership
- A senior voice in the room
Typical shape- Timeline
- Monthly, a set number of days
- Team
- Me, with partners as the work demands
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What you get
- Campaign platform & the big idea
- Through-the-line roll-out: ATL, digital, social, OOH
- Art direction, copy & design
- Production oversight to final delivery
Typical shape- Timeline
- 6–12 weeks
- Team
- Me + art direction, copy and design partners, with film & production partners for production
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What you get
- Pitch strategy & the big idea
- Concepts & copy
- Presentation craft
- On-call senior support
Typical shape- Timeline
- 1–3 week sprints, or on call
- Team
- Me, with partners as the work demands
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What you get
- Positioning & brand platform
- Brand story & messaging framework
- Tone of voice
- Roll-out guidance
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What you get
- Concept & script
- Live-action or AI production
- Edit, grade & sound
- Cut-downs for social
Typical shape- Timeline
- 3–6 weeks
- Team
- Me + film & production and art direction partners
How the team works
Senior thinking from the first meeting to the final frame. For bigger briefs, I bring in hand-picked partners, with no agency overhead.
[ 01 ]StrategyInsight · Positioning · Platforms
[ 02 ]Art direction & copyCampaigns · Craft · Words
[ Centre ]
Philippa Heal
Strategy · Ideas · Words
One point of accountability
[ 03 ]DesignIdentity · Digital · Packaging
[ 04 ]Film & productionLive action · AI · Post
[ 05 ] — A few good words
“Philippa brought a welcomed level of strategic insight and creative power to every project. She consistently elevated the quality of our work and navigated client relationships with grace and strategic foresight.”
[ 06 ] — Contact
Useful Mischief — Brand strategy & creative studio
Johannesburg · Working globally
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