Shelley Smoler

Shelley Smoler believes writing bios in the third person is a bit odd. So how about I tell you a little about myself instead. I've always loved how great ideas hold the power to change how people think about brands, and sometimes the world. That's what drew me to advertising in the first place. And I saw that power first-hand with The Zimbabwean's "Trillion Dollar Campaign" a protest printed on real, worthless banknotes that helped change government policy, won South Africa's first Black Pencil and now lives in the permanent collections of the V&A and the Design Museum. Thirteen years later, after long stints at BBH and Droga5 London, I've tried to shift minds, not just products, for brands like Audi, The Guardian, Amazon, Uniqlo, BrewDog and Diet Coke. Now, as the first Chief Creative Officer of Lucky Generals, my cynicism is still (just) outweighed by idealism. I've served on several creative juries, where I temporarily abandon my calm demeanour to passionately defend bold thinking in a South African accent that's somehow survived a decade of London pubs. I also believe the best creative leaders raise new ones, the kind who'll one day write their own slightly overthought third-person bios, too.