At the heart of all successful innovation businesses is a relentless desire to be creative and transformational. We will be asking our panel of leading creative minds to explore the creative process, asking, what is a big idea? And do we still need them? What's more, once you've got to 'the big idea' how do you effectively charge for it and avoid giving away your IP for free?
Mark Boyd, Co-founder, Gravity Road
Gravity Road exists to create things people that want to spend time with. At only two years old it has created BAFTA & Cannes Lions winning work for the likes of Bacardi Global, Sainsbury’s, Huffington Post & Cadbury’s.
Mark joined from Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) where he was Creative Director/Head of Content and Partner. With a varied career across brands, media owners, content creators and agencies in the media and entertainment business including 3, Virgin Media, BBH, TBWA and Drum PHD, Mark has pioneered new content opportunities for clients beyond traditional advertising.
Matt Keon, Co-founder and Creative Partner, 18 Feet and Rising
Matt’s résumé includes stints in award winning agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, BMF Sydney and Fallon London. At Fallon he made Sony HD an entertainment experiment, rallied Wispa fans into mass hysteria and made the Tate accessible to every kid in Britain.
At 18 Feet and Rising, Matt has changed the creative model and helped brands like Nationwide, Nando’s and Kopparberg achieve brand transformations.
Matt won his first Cannes Lions at 21, he is the only creative to win the Paul Arden Award twice, and he won a BAFTA and a Guinness world record in the same year.
Neil McFarland, Director of Games, ustwo
ustwo, global digital product studio, is responsible for creating some of the world’s best digital experiences and products, from the Apple Design Award-winning Monument Valley game, to industry-changing technology products including Barclays’ Pingit app and the Hudl, Tesco’s budget 7in tablet computer.
As Director of Games at ustwo, Neil shapes and develops game ideas. He is responsible for game commissioning, creative direction and team recruitment. Neil has 15 years’ commercial artist experience as both an illustrator and animator, and was artist on the ustwo™ game Whale Trail. Now as creative lead at ustwo games he strives to make the success of their IP beyond the top of the App Stores.
Dan Shute, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Creature of London
Dan has previously held senior roles at Ogilvy, DLKW and glue. As Managing Partner at Creature of London, he makes brilliant things for a whole host of new brilliant people, including Carling, Tetley, Ryvita, Jordans, Anchor, London Gatwick and more. Creature has also created plays and music videos, published a book, taken a comedy musical based on choral reinterpretations of songs from Now! 23 to Edinburgh, performed at the Fringe, and is warming up for the launch of Alice’s Adventures Underground, their first venture into the world of immersive theatre (because you can’t really call yourself an advertising agency until you’ve done that).
Chair: Charles Fallon, Global Senior Partner at SI Partners
Charles advises media, marcoms and tech independents across the world on long term consultancy projects to develop strategies for growth, global expansion and performance improvement. Charles has held senior roles in advertising, publishing and digital start-ups, including over a decade at Saatchi & Saatchi where he launched Saatchi Interactive, one of the UK’s first digital agencies. Charles has particular expertise advising creative, digital and tech companies on evaluating strategic options and developing disruptive business models.
