HEY
I’m Steve (Hey), an award-winning Creative Director at DDB Sydney.
I’ve worked at multiple agencies in Sydney and London, creating award-winning, globally recognised
and viral campaigns for brands like Volkswagen, KitKat, Google, Parkinson's NSW, Tourism Queensland,
McDonald’s, Kelloggs, Leggo’s, Banana Boat and Wallace & Gromit.
My work has featured in The Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail, Contagious, Buzzfeed, LadBible,
Vice, Mashable, Yahoo, HuffPost, CNN, Sunrise and even on George Tekai’s socials.
I’ve won pitches for Google, FTX, Nikon, Edgewell, Vodafone and the Australian Government,
tutored 4 years of AWARD School, and judged at a few award shows.
Awards
2024
VW Let’s go for a drive
AWARD - Bronze: Film / AWARD - Bronze: Cinema / Spikes - Finalist, Film / Spikes - Finalist, Film Craft (Sound) /
Caples - Finalist: Film / Shots - Bronze (Music) / BestAds - Pick of the Week (Film)
2022
KITKAT Have a bite
GOLD - Spikes Asia, Social Media / Bronze - Spikes Asia, PR / Finalist - One Show, Social Media /
Finalist - One Show, PR / Silver - AWARD Awards, Social Media / Bronze - AWARD Awards, Social Media /
Bronze, AWARD Awards, PR / Bronze, AWARD Awards, PR / MadStars - Crystal, Brand Experience /
Most Contagious Campaigns of 2021 List / AdWeek Feature
KitKat Wizards
MadStars - Crystal, Film
2021
Parkinson’s - No Escape Room
LIA - Bronze, Activation / Spikes Asia - FInalist, Activation / Best Ads, Pick of the Week / Adweek Feature
KITKAT Give the planet a break
APCO Winner - Packaging for Sustainability / AWARD Award - Finalist, Packaging / Best Ads, Pick of the week
2017
The Parkinson's Challenge
GOLD, LIA - Social Media Film / Bronze, Spikes Asia - Digital / Silver, AdNews (ACES) /
Campaign Brief Pick of the Month, Film / Campaign Brief Annual Hot List / Best Ads Top 6 (Film)
KITKAT Katapult
Bronze, LIA - Direction / Bronze, LIA - Production Design / Editor's Pick Creativity Online /
Best Ads - Pick of the Week (TVC 30') / Best Ads - Pick of the Week (Social Videos) /
JWT Global 'Highlight of 2017'
2016
Schick Virtual Catwalk
Campaign Brief Hot List
Banana Boat Sizzledodge
Campaign Brief Hot List
TRESemme VR New York Fashion Week
Best Ads - Pick of the Week (Interactive)
AFM Print - 'No options'
In book - Lurzer's Archive
2015
Ask the Google App
GRAND PRIX - ADMA (AC&E Award) / Innovation Award - ADMA (AC&E Awards) /
Best OOH Campaign - ADMA (AC&E Awards) / Highly Commended, Mobile -
ADMA (AC&E Awards) / Finalist, Copywriting - ADMA (AC&E Awards) / Finalist, Spikes - Outdoor /
Silver APAC, Best Use of Mobile / Silver APAC, Best Engagement Strategy /
Mumbrella Shortlist - Media Campaign Of The Year
The Whitsundays - TVC Shot on a SmartPhone
Winner: The SmartPhone Film Festival
2014
The Whitsundays: A movie that's waiting to be written
Bronze, Caples, Interactive Campaign / Finalist, Caples, Social Media Campaign /
Official Honouree, Webby’s, Best Social Media campaign / Finalist, The Branded Entertainment Awards /
In Book, Creative Review / In Book - The Work
Cannes Young Lions
Finalist, Print
2013-2015
The Hallway (Sole Creative Team)
Winner, Independent Agency of the Year, 2014 - Campaign Asia
The World's Leading Independent Agencies List, 2014 - Campaign Magazine
Highly Commended, Independent Agency of the Year, 2015 - B&T
Finalist, Independent Agency of the Year, 2015 - AdNews
Winner, NSW Agency of the Year, 2016 - B&T
2008
Wallace & Gromit's World of Cracking Ideas
Best Launch Exhibition - The EVENT Awards
NICE WORDS
Matt Eastwood - Global CCO, McCann
“Although we were based in different countries, Steve was one of my go-to creatives. Particularly for solving important and challenging briefs. The best creatives are part planner and part copywriter/art director. Steve has a planner's ability to get right to the core of the task, and a creative's ability to express the idea in a surprising and, often, award-winning way. I'm a big fan.”
Joao Braga, Global ECD, Publicis
”I had never been to Australia or met anyone here when I got the offer to take up a job in Sydney. I'd met Steve on a couple of calls, though. I'd seen his work. And that somehow gave me that extra dose of confidence I needed to take the plunge. Kindness and generosity aside, Steve has an incredibly disciplined approach to generating an abundance of really smart, culturally savvy ideas, as well as a special ability to assess, nurture, and do whatever’s needed to make them better. Which also comes in handy when guiding anyone from young teams to iconic brands out of their depth.”
Simon Lee - CCO, Partner, Enigma
”I have nothing but good memories of the time I spent working closely with Steve at The Hallway. He has an acute awareness of the difference between good and Great and tirelessly pursues the latter. His conceptual ideas are founded in human observation and insight, his writing craft is great, and in his own inimitably dry way he can be very very funny. But most importantly perhaps, Steve is a very good human being with all the makings of a great creative leader.”
Ralph Barnett - National ECD, SapientNitro
”Steven is a conceptually kick-arse creative who has beautiful ideas, loads of passion and a business focused level head, perfect for today's advertising climate. A real pleasure to work with.”
Dan Bye, Group Director of Strategy,
M&C Saatchi
”Steve has talent beyond his years. Not only is he a strong conceptual creative and copywriter he also has a great strategic mind and has the ability to get under the lid of a problem, identify the key insight and then develop the finished creative product. I very much hope we have the opportunity to work together again at some point in our careers.”
Bruce Pywell, Director, Netflix
”I worked with Steve for two years at JWT Sydney. The projects we worked on count among those I'm most proud of in my career, and to a large extent that's due to the level of creativity and partnership Steve brings to the table. He has as much a strategic mind as a creative one, so he's someone I came to trust when discussing broader business problems, and clients would also regularly request he play that role as well. I'd jump at the chance to work with Steve again.”
Carol Hey, Steve’s mum
”Steve is good at his job, i think, but he’s quite scruffy.”