About
I’m an award winning Creative whose work has been recognised by D&AD, and The British Arrows, amongst others.
I’m also an illustrator and cartoonist who has been a regular contributor to Private Eye and a bunch of other publications.
A bit of flesh on the bones:
I started out as a cartoonist and illustrator, working for various publications. Then in a radical career change I went off to study advertising at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University. Whilst there I won a student D&AD pencil which helped me get a job as a Creative at JWT. I did rather well with my first TV campaign which I wrote and art-directed for Yorkie chocolate bars. The commercials helped increase sales by 200% and won some very favourable reviews. I also picked up a BTAA award for my efforts. Whilst at the agency I also created the animated ‘Dairylea Cows’ for Kraft.
After departing JWT I worked for PartyGaming where I made 3 major campaigns. Two for the US market and one for the UK/Europe.
In recent years I have freelanced and had short term contracts at various ad agencies, including Grey, Founded, Saatchi & Saatchi, IRIS, Who Wot Why and Wunderman Thompson to name but a few.
In my spare time I enjoy contributing cartoons to various publications and I also recently had success with a graphic novel project. A little cartoon feature of mine is currently running in Private Eye entitled 'Logos as they should be', I have two comic features syndicated worldwide on GoComics. and I occasionally doodle for Viz Comic.
Testimonials:
“Anthony is a rare breed. He can write, art direct, design, draw, illustrate, conjure up hilarious cartoons and has probably conquered Everest before breakfast. His energy is infectious, his ideas, limitless. If you can involve Anthony in a project, I would.” - Martin Galton, Former Board Director at BBH and Founder at Beehive Creative
“I worked with Anthony whilst I was ECD of JWT London. Anthony was and I’m sure, still is a first class creative. He’s good across all media and also wrote one of my favourite ads produced during my time in charge of the department. Not for girls was a wonderful idea for Yorkie; written by Anthony and directed by the brilliant Chris Palmer, it has stood the test of time extraordinarily well. I really enjoyed working with Anthony, he thinks slightly differently to most creatives and I always valued him being in the department. Run, don’t walk to hire him, I did and was very pleased that I did.” - Jasper Shelbourne, Former ECD of JWT
“Anthony Smith is an excellent all-round creative. Whether it be concept’s, scripts, designs or online work, he always delivers to a high standard.” - Murray Partridge, Former PartyGaming and TBWA Creative Director
“Anthony loves what he does, always brimming with ideas and fun to work with.” - Shaheed Peera, Founder of The Creative Floor Awards, EVP Global Executive Creative Partner IPG Health
“Anthony’s dedication to bringing the story alive is the equivalent of a film director like Ken Loach dramatising the lives of ordinary people and making them into the everyday heroes that so many are.” - Pat Mills Writer, editor, creator of 2000AD/Judge Dredd
"Yorkie shows us how it's done. Simultaneously using its heritage and flying in the face of its competitors' activities, it has come up with a strong, simple idea that will run and run and sell chocolate by the truckload." - Leon Jaume, Private View, Campaign magazine.
“I can vouch for Anthony - have used his services many times. He's a great conceptualiser (and illustrator) - real ideas guy - think you'll like him!” - Lee Williams, Creative Director, Sudler & Hennessy
“Anthony is inventive, never misses a deadline, and is always fastidious in presenting the best work he can in any area of the production process he's involved with.” - David Lloyd, Aces Weekly Publisher
"Cartoons by Anthony Smith succeed where all the unknown billions of actual lolcats fail, in that they are genuinely funny." - Tom Peck, The Independent.
“Bloody good writer.” - Rik Mayall, comedian, actor and writer
“In my role as a creative director at JWT, I was very impressed with both the output of the concept work from Anthony Smith and the quality of his finished work. In fact, he and I worked together and won a pitch for the Royal National Institute for the Blind. In particular, I thought his “Yorkie. Not for girls’ campaign was terrific. He’s a relentless, hard working bloke. And I know he can bring a great deal of enthusiasm and professionalism to any creative department he’s working in.” - John Donnelly, Former JWT Creative Director
“I love Anthony Smith’s cartoons and my dog Bluebell thinks they’re hilarious as well.” - Jilly Cooper, CBE, Author
“Anthony comes bursting with ideas in a variety of flavours... Buy him now!” - Mark Denton esq, Boss, Coy Communications
CV - Senior creative/cd
I’m a widely-experienced Senior Creative/Creative Director. I’ve worked on large international brands, alongside the smaller domestic variety. I’m skilled in producing effective creative work across every media platform - including TV, print, digital, social and experiential. I’m a strategic thinker as well as a creative one, able to navigate and solve problems and produce award-winning work. I have a high success rate on pitches, as well as good leadership skills. I’m also very happy to mentor junior creatives. I should also mention that I’ve had a long parallel career as an illustrator, producing work in a variety of styles to a professional standard.
employment
2024 - Present Senior Writer/Art Director
MBAstack, freelance
2017 - Present Cartoonist
Private Eye, freelance
I write and draw ‘Logos as they should be.’
2023 - 2024 Senior Writer/Art Director
Saatchi & Saatchi, contract
I worked on Advil, Voltaren and Panadol.
2021 - 2023 Senior Writer/Art Director
Multiple agencies, freelance
Boom, Brood, Cognite, Wunderman Thompson and Who Wot Why.
2020 - 2022 Creative Director
Arts Council, funded project
I created a graphic novel as well as a print and social media campaigns to promote it. I also helped curate two exhibitions working closely with Black History Month. The project attracted a lot of positive coverage from both the BBC and ITV.
2020 - 2021 Creative Director
Funky Pigeon, freelance
I developed e-cards for the company as well as several promotional campaigns to promote their digital offering.
2017 - 2020 Creative Director
Spoken, freelance
I worked on Nuwig for Octapharma, PKU Easy Range for POA Pharma, Dysport for Ipsen, Dravet for Fintepla, Zoegenix (pitch), Broncho- vaxom, Nutricia for Danone. We also pitched for and won the MS/Malenclad portfolio at Merck.
2011 - 2020 Senior Writer/Art Director
Multiple agencies, freelance
April Six, Audacity, Base One, Brand X, Biophillia (US agency), Boutique Creative, Brand Development, CDM, Cheeky, Cheil, Cherry, Cognite, Creative Race, Founded, Geometry, Growth Partnership, Hypernaked, ICC Lowe, InVentiv Health, IRIS, Langland, Life Healthcare, N2O, Naked Communications, Navicor (US agency), Page & Page, PCM, Propaganda, Souk 360, Sudler & Hennessy, TDG Integrated, Thinking Juice, Tribe and WDMP.
2014 - 2015 Writer
I co-wrote a play with the legendary actor and comedian Rik Mayall. This was sadly never completed.
2011 - 2014 Cartoonist
Metro national newspaper, freelance
I wrote and drew the daily cartoon feature ‘Learn to Speak Cat’.
2010 - 2011 Senior Writer/Art Director
Publicis Life Brands, contract
Clients included Allegen, The Passage (Homeless charity), Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK.
2009 - 2010 Senior Writer/Art Director
Multiple agencies, freelance
Bray Leino, Grey, IRIS, Mercieca, Naked Communications, RPM3, Saatchi & Saatchi Health, Souk 360, VCCP Health and WFCA.
2007 - 2009 Senior Writer/Art Director
Langland, permanent employment
I was part of the core team that helped grow Langland into the UK’s most awarded healthcare agency. Clients included Kendle, Xarelto, Lantheus, IDIS, Schering-Plough, Bayer and Sebastian’s Action Trust.
2006 - 2007 Senior Writer/Art Director
Burkitt DDB, contract
I worked on the John Lewis, Avis and Epson accounts, as well as on several pitches.
2004 - 2006 Senior Writer/Art Director
PartyGaming, contract
I created the Got A Bad Poker Face campaign which launched PartyPoker in the UK. I wrote and art directed fifteen TV commercials for the brand as well as executing numerous online campaigns.
2004 Writer/Art Director
DDB, freelance
I worked exclusively on the Dell account.
2001 - 2004 Writer/Art Director
JWT, permanent employment
I wrote and art-directed an award-winning TV campaign for Yorkie and created the Dairylea Cows for Kraft Cheese. I also worked on Aston Martin, Boots, HSBC, Mazda, Shell, The RAF, RNIB, Vodaphone, KitKat, After Eights, Polo and Smaries for Nestle, Kenco for JDE Peet’s, Smirnoff and J&B Whiskey for Diageo, Persil and Lux for Unilever, Andrex, Kleenex and Cottonelle for Kimberly-Clark, Special K and Rice Krispies for Kellogs, Listerine for Pfizer and Dettol and Harpic for Reckitt Benckiser.
AWARDS
Student D&AD Pencil (RNIB. Is this poster any good?) - BTA Diploma (Yorkie. Not for girls) JWT - Food and Beverages. Best Poster Award (Smarties go undercover) JWT - IPA Award of Excellence (Nuflor) Langland - IPA Award of Excellence (Anemia study) Langland - The Global Awards. Best Integrated Campaign (Kid K) Langland - IPA Self Promotion Award (Our website looks better online) PLBR - IPA Self Promotion Award (Obsessed about advertising?) PLBR - Big Bus Challenge (Optive. Dry eyes) PLBR - Creative Floor. Best Integrated Campaign - (Merial. Learn to speak dog) PLBR - PM Gold Craft Award (Patient support comics) Cognite
PITCH WINS
RNIB - JWT.
Bathstore.com - WFCA.
Beringer Wine - WFCA.
Cullens - WFCA.
Authentic Caribbean - Bray Leino.
Threshers - RPM3.
PartyGaming - Burkitt DDB.
IDIS - Langland (Healthcare).
MS/Mavenclad portfolio at Merc - Spoken (Healthcare).
OTHER WORK
I have contributed numerous cartoons to Private Eye, the Oldie and Viz. I’ve had two cartoon features syndicated worldwide through Universal Uclick. I’ve illustrated numerous books for a host of publishers in a variety of styles. I have also worked in the digital arena on a wide range of illustration projects. This has included work for both Moonpig and Funky Pigeon. I have been a guest lecturer on numerous university advertising and marketing courses. My illustration work has been exhibited at several galleries in the UK.