Hello, I’m Shelby…
I turn messy business problems into ideas with a purpose, a point and just enough mischief.
I’m an award-winning Creative Director with a global agency background across Grey, Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann and RAPP, creating work for brands including Panadol, Visa, Barclays, Mastercard, HSBC, Emirates NBD, Land Rover, Virgin Media and EE.
My sweet spot is turning commercial problems into sharp, memorable brand ideas that travel across channels, markets and boardrooms without losing their pulse along the way. I’ve launched global brand platforms, tackled misogyny in women’s football, created personalised films at ridiculous scale, turned financial services into human stories, and built brand experiences that gave people a reason to look up from their phones. Often under tight timelines, high expectations and at least one request to make the logo bigger. A lot of that work has lived in regulated spaces too, so I know how to keep ideas sharp while moving them through legal, medical and compliance checks.
I’m hands-on where it counts: shaping the idea, leading teams, building pitch-winning work, presenting to senior clients, running shoots, calming stakeholder nerves and helping brave work survive the journey from first thought to final delivery. Work includes Team Visa Pep-Talks, Panadol Release Starts Here, Barclays Personalised Lending, Mastercard ON-AIR and campaigns for Churchill, Jeep, FIAT, Emirates NBD and more.
Creative education
Recognition
Silver: Effie Awards
Gold: Campaign Magazine Brand Republic Awards
5 Gold: DMA Awards
Gold: Festival of Media / M&M Global Awards
Silver: DMA Awards
Gold: Drum Network Digital Awards
Gold: Best UK Awards
Gold: Performance Marketing Awards
Gold: M&M Global Awards
Judge: Creativepool Awards 2017-2022
Some lovely words by wonderful people
Experience
Freelance
Creative Director
London + Sydney
August 2024 to present
• Developed high-impact brand experiences ideas for Because Sydney, blending live and digital activations.
• Directed creative for the Sela × Newcastle United FC partnership at Wasserman London, aligning sport, culture, and brand strategy to strengthen fan and sponsor connection.
Saatchi & Saatchi
Creative Director
London
November 2023 to June 2024
• Led accounts and integrated campaigns for Visa, FIAT, and Jeep across TV, AV, social, OOH, and radio, driving cohesive brand storytelling and measurable business growth.
• Created award-winning anti-misogyny in football social campaign with Team Visa ambassadors driving a global fan experience generating 200M impressions, 14.5M views and 69K live “Pep Talks”, with under 0.1 percent negative or moderated comments.
• Spearheaded Churchill Insurance Q2 2024 campaign, boosting awareness by +18% and driving new customer acquisition.
• Championed a collaborative, high-performance team culture and mentoring junior and mid-weight creative teams.
WPP x Grey
Creative Director - Global
London
January 2022 to November 2023
• Served as global brand steward for Panadol, directing multi-market teams across Singapore, Sydney, Dubai, and Buenos Aires.
• Developed and launched the ‘Release Starts Here’ global brand platform, rolled out across TV, social, OOH, print, and experiential redefining Panadol’s positioning worldwide across 20+ markets, credited with double-digit sales growth.
• Delivered the Cold & Flu 2024 range campaign and toolkit for EMEA and China markets across TVC, social, print boosting sales over 45%.
• Led multi-market shoots including London, Beirut, and Mumbai, ensuring idea and brand integrity.
• Guided Panadol clients beyond traditional advertising into purpose-led work, documentary-style content and mindfulness experiences.
• Served on Grey’s Creative Council, influencing agency-wide creative standards and global leadership.
Freelance
Creative Director - Senior Creative
London
May 2020 to January 2022
• Creative lead for Huawei at Grayling London, delivering cross-platform content that amplified brand visibility.
• Collaborated with The Mix (Pernod Ricard’s in-house agency) and Sky Creative, shaping content and brand storytelling across campaigns.
MullenLowe
Creative Director - Contract
Dubai
January 2020 – May 2020
• Led account and creative for City Centre Malls, the UAE’s largest mall chain, across social, in-store, and brand activations.
• Partnered with The Sartorialist (NY fashion photographer) to create a high-impact campaign that boosted footfall and sales by 40%.
FP7 McCann
Creative Director
Dubai
October 2017 - December 2019
• Led major accounts including Mastercard, Emirates NBD, and Dubai Holding, delivering award-winning campaigns across AV, OOH, radio, and brand activations.
• Won Silver Effie for Dubai Holding’s star-led This is Living campaign, boosting customer acquisition 40%, driving sales and earning media.
• Managed and mentored creative teams while overseeing large-scale productions and brand activations across the region.
Time off and Travel
October 2016 - September 2017
Took some much deserved time off to re-energise, explore more of Europe and visit family and friends in Australia.
Saatchi Masius
Creative Director
London
August 2015 – September 2016
• Secured new business wins with China Southern Airlines and City Index, adding £5M in agency revenue.
• Elevated brand perceptions with social, content, and OOH campaigns that modernised client communications.
RAPP
Associate Creative Director
London
July 2010 – August 2015
• Directed award-winning campaigns for Barclays and Virgin Media across AV, social, DM, print, and brand activations.
•Led the successful pitch that won AMD, marking the biggest account acquisition in RAPP’s history.
• Won 16 industry awards, including 8 Golds for Barclays’ Personalised Lending Video, a campaign that pioneered personalised content
in financial services.
TBWA
Senior Art Director
London
February 2007 – July 2010
• Led high-profile campaigns across digital, print, and brand experiences for global brands.
• Gained international exposure working in the New York and Sydney offices on global campaigns and pitches.
Wunderman
Art Director
London
January 2004 – February 2007
• Created award-winning digital experiences for Land Rover, Microsoft, Adidas, and Xbox 360.
• Won Gold DMA for Art Direction on the Range Rover Sport launch experience.