About.

Hi, I’m Mick Mahoney. M Creative Industries is the culmination of 30+ years experience in the Advertising & Communications Industry.

In those 30 years, I’ve won over 150 major industry awards from shows across the world. Including a Cannes Grand Prix and a One Show Best in Show. As well as multiple Lions, Pencils, and Arrows. I’ve been a Cannes Lion film judge, D&AD Black Pencil judge, and Chairman of the D&AD film jury. I also created one of the ads that Sir John Hegarty cited as ‘The 5 ads that defined BBH’.

As a creative director I’ve run 7 of the UK’s top 10 most valuable brands, and a number of the world’s most valuable brands. I’ve CCO’d 3 of the most successful network agencies in the UK. And been included in Campaign’s list of top creative directors at each of them. I’ve also set up and run my own brand consultancy. Successfully selling it. I am now a best selling author, creative coach, and creative consultant, endlessly curious and passionate about the power that creativity has to make positive change. And constantly looking for ways to make it happen through my books, talks, workshops, and consultancy.

Writer.

I love words. Few things give me more pleasure than a carefully crafted sentence, or a beautifully sculpted script.

I’ve written countless award winning ads in every medium imaginable. 

Not-so-short-films for Johnnie Walker and Chivas, content films for BA, an ‘Integrated Christmas Blockbuster’ for Boots, press ads for Nike, numerous TV ads for Vodafone, (yes, award winning tv ads for Vodafone! Not an easy feat) TV ads for Durex, cinema ads for Agent Provocateur, posters for Penguin books, social posts for Amnesty, programme bumpers for the BBC, the list goes on…

The Johnnie Walker ad even became the inspiration for a Amazon Prime documentary. (Cameo role: 01:15:00)

I’ve also written a Cannes Grand Prix winning press campaign for Stella Artois that didn’t have any headlines or copy, at a time when award winning press ads only had headlines and long copy.

I’ve written numerous industry articles for every major advertising, design, and film production magazine you can think of.  As well as The Guardian Newspaper’s Creativity Masterclass workshop. 

I’ve written a TED talk on the dangers of misinterpreting forensic science, together with the Cannes winning press and cinema campaign that raised £1 Million to fund a new forensics lab at UCL. 

And a whole bunch of other talks on creativity and innovation. (See Creative Coaching section.)

I’ve co-written a best selling book about creativity and how to go about building creative behaviours into everyday life.  Which has now been translated into Chinese and Turkish. (Available to order in my Books section.)

I’ve also just finished my second book called The Complete Creative Director. The first comprehensive manual of creative direction that’s due for publication in May 2025. (Available to pre-order in my Books section.)

And I’m now embarking on my third and fourth books on creativity, as well as trying to squeeze in my first novel.

Creative Director.

I have been the CCO of 3 major network ad agencies in London. Ogilvy, Y&R and Havas. I have also been a CD at BBH.

CCO - Ogilvy - Feb 2016 - Feb 2019.

As part of a new management team brought in the rebuild the Ogilvy brand in the UK, I helped take Ogilvy from a revenue of - 35% to + 70% by winning and bedding in 12 new business pitches in 12 months. Including Boots, Vodafone, BA, & Sipsmith.

The most successful year for new business in Ogilvy history. Helping the agency to its first ever shortlist for Campaign Agency of the Year in 2017.

This remarkable transformation was due to galvanising the entire agency around our philosophy of ‘All Roads Lead To The Work’. This collective responsibility also manifested itself in some of the most talked about, and awarded creative work in London, across a number of accounts including BA, Amnesty International, Boots, Trebor, and UCL. Contributing to Ogilvy winning Cannes Network of the year every year I was there.

And leading to me being recognised on Campaign’s top creative director list at my third agency in a row. An achievement that has yet to be beaten.

 “Mick is a very special creative to work with.  He quickly forms very strong partnerships with all those he works with - be they clients, strategists, account people or producers.  He keeps everyone relentlessly focused on the quality of work that can be delivered through these partnerships. He’s an outstanding asset for any business or client.”

Charlie Rudd. Group CEO of Leo Burnett. Ex CEO of Ogilvy.

CCO - RKY&R - Aug 2013 - Jan 2016.

During a of period of much change at the agency, I oversaw the agency’s cornerstone British brands and produced many successful campaigns, including the BBC’s first ever social led launch of a major sporting event, for the Commonwealth Games and one of the most talked about and awarded print and online campaigns in the UK for the Royal British Legion, marking the centenary of WW1. I also won a gold Arrow for Vodafone.

In recognition of the creative work during my tenure I was placed 8th in Campaign Magazine’s annual top creative director list.

“Mick is an extraordinary creative partner. He is a teammate who commits and collaborates to get to the best solutions. He has a dangerous mind that can not only make lateral leaps, but also inspire those in teams around him to do so. He is agnostic in his approach and celebrates innovation, but never for the sake of it.”

Russ Lidstone. President, Inizio Engage XD - Ex CEO of Havas

CCO - Havas - Dec 2009 - July 2013.

During my tenure Havas enjoyed the most creatively awarded period in its 22 year history. This included winning the agency’s first ever D&AD pencils.

As a result, Havas London was ranked #22 in the world’s 100 most awarded agencies 2012, and #6 in the UK. I was also featured at #5 in the UK’s 100 most awarded creatives.

Not only did our work for VO5, Durex, Dulux, and Chivas win in traditional categories such as film and film craft but also in branded content, technical innovation, social media, web design, game design, integrated campaign, and interactive. We were also recognised by TED.

During my time at Havas we didn’t lose a single client and became a fixture on Campaign’s top ten new business league for over 3 years.

I was also the first CCO from Havas ever to feature in Campaign’s annual top creative director list.

CD - BBH - Feb 2006 - Nov 2009.

I was fortunate enough to work in probably the most awarded creative department in the world at that time, in an agency whose sole focus was to make great work.

I ran British Airways, Vodafone, Johnnie Walker, and Persil during my 3+ years as a CD/GCD at BBH. (And Woolworths! Quite possibly the most fun I’ve ever had on an account.) I also got to work with some of the best directors and photographers in the world. I was the most awarded creative director at BBH two years running.

BBH was also Agency of the Year twice during my time there.