Gavin Kellett
Advertising Copywriter / Creative Director, London, UK
I’ve been doing this job since 1991, and in that time, I’ve had many titles. I’ve been a Creative Director, a Creative Group Head, a Creative Partner and a Head of Copy. But the one I’ll always default to – the one I’ll always use when I meet people for the first time, is the one I started out with. Copywriter.
I love coming up with fresh, insightful ways to engage, amuse and inform. And then bringing them to life in the most relevant and memorable ways possible, whether that’s via TV, print, posters, radio or online.
At Saatchi & Saatchi, I did it for clients including Monster.com, Toyota, NSPCC, T-Mobile, Lexus and Cadbury. At Publicis, for Renault, The Army, Tourism Ireland, McVitie’s and UBS.
Now I’m doing it on a freelance basis at agencies such as AMV BBDO, Grey London and 180 Amsterdam.
And while I find talking about it terribly vulgar, the work I’ve created has won many, many accolades at the most prestigious advertising award shows around the world. The ones like D&AD, Cannes, Campaign and the British TV Awards.
I consider myself lucky to have worked with some pretty good art directors. (Yes, I’m talking about you, Greg, Nik, Johnny and Dave.) And I’ve worked with some pretty good account handlers, planners, directors, photographers and clients too. (I won’t bother name-checking all of them.) But I want to work with many more.
Because while this particular piece of copy has taken me over 30 years to write, I’m still not happy with it.
A few words from other people:
"There are only three things in life that are certain: death, taxes and the fact that David and Gavin will get you out of the shit. They're an ideas machine. And what's more they're an utterly reliable, little to no maintenance, astonishingly quick and super good ideas machine. Put simply, they're the best freelance creative team in London. As a final bonus they're a lot nicer and funnier and kinder than either death or taxes. Both of which are rubbish."
Alex Grieve
Global & London CCO
BBH London
“Gavin and Dave are guaranteed to give you what you want. Whether it’s smaller, specific executions or big, fat, integrated solutions, their ideas will surprise you, yet make perfect sense. They are charming, confident guys with bucket-loads of experience and no egos. In the last two years, I have used them twice as often as any other team. I’m not stupid.”
Richard Russell
Executive Creative Director
DDB Europe
“Gavin will save your bacon. He’s a brilliant writer, whose brilliance I have relied on more than once. In my mind, he’s more than just a freelancer, he’s an extension of my creative department. He and his partner generated great work, and then I happily put them in front of the client to present and produce the campaigns. I know we will continue to work together again and again.”
Matt Eastwood
Global Chief Creative Officer
McCann Health
“I have worked closely with Dave and Gavin on and off for over twenty years. They have lost none of their enthusiasm for the business, and are both energetic and focused, capable of delivering work at the highest level. Moreover, they are open and collaborative, always willing to help make others' work better, and making any project seem less like work with their positivity and good humour.”
John Pallant
Founder & Global Chief Creative Officer
Blitzworks
Employment history:
2012 – present Gavin Kellett Limited
Copywriter / Creative Director
2003-2012 Publicis
Head of Copy / Creative Director
2000-2003 Saatchi & Saatchi
Creative Partner / Creative Group Head
1999-2000 BBH
Copywriter
1991-1999 Saatchi & Saatchi
Copywriter
Awards won include:
D&AD: 3 Yellow, 1 Graphite, 19 Wood
Cannes: 1 Silver, 2 Bronzes
British TV Awards: 1 Gold, 5 Silvers, 4 Bronzes
Campaign Big Awards: 1 Silver
Campaign Press Awards: 1 Gold, 2 Silvers
Campaign Direct Awards: 4 Golds
One Show: 1 Gold
Art Directors’ Club: 1 Bronze
New York Festival Advertising Awards: 1 Bronze
Aerial Awards: 2 Golds
Epica Awards: 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
Creative Circle: 2 Silvers, 3 Bronzes
I’ve also had the honour of judging several times at D&AD, as well as at Cannes and Kinsale.
Freelance clients:
180 Amsterdam
Accenture Song
adam&eveDDB
AMV BBDO
Armando Testa
BETC London
BigSmall
Blitzworks
BMB
Catalyst Spirits
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
DDB Amsterdam
DDB Hamburg
DDB London
DDB Munich
DDB New York
DDB Stockholm
Dyson Ltd
Fallon London
Familia
Fold7
Founded
Grey London
GTB
Havas Worldwide
Huge
Innocean London
Krow Communications
The Liberty Guild
LIDA
Lowe and Partners Worldwide
McCann London
McGarry Bowen
Neil A Dawson & Co
The Ninety-Niners
The Odd Number Johannesburg
Ogilvy London
Oliver
Orange Panther Collective
Partners Andrews Aldridge
Publicis Amsterdam
Publicis London
Publicis One Touch
RKCR / Y&R
Saatchi & Saatchi Düsseldorf
Saatchi & Saatchi Frankfurt
Saatchi & Saatchi London
Saatchi & Saatchi Milan
Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore
Saatchi & Saatchi X
SapientNitro
Spark44
Special London
Special Sydney
Superunion
TBWA \ London
TBWA \ New York
TBWA \ Paris
Team Eleven
Team Saatchi
Thirst Craft
Tribal DDB
Tug London
VMLY&R
WCRS
Wow Your Crowd