*Working with business leaders, CMO’s & marketing teams to find the simple solutions that build thriving brands.

Andy Dippenaar*

Well, hello. I’m a Zimbabwean-born creative director cultivated in South Africa and now working out of the UK. These are travels that have a given me a wide view of the world.

Schooled in three of the biggest global agencies (Ogilvy, TBWA/ and FCB) I co-founded an independent creative studio (Pump Brand Ideas) now in its 26th year.

I’ve worked on global brands, on feisty challenger brands and have helped maverick start-up brands get going.

I’ve contributed to work that’s had success on the international awards stage and, more importantly, shown its value at the cash register.

I’ve learnt that simple, clear creative thinking delivers the best value for brands and produces the most powerful work.

Brand library.

These are some of the brands that I’ve influenced and that have influenced me. Many have been long term relationships, some a holiday romance, and a few just a weekend fling, depending on the nature of the challenge, the scale of the project or the outcome required. Each of them has taught me something along the way and, I hope, I’ve given them something worthwhile in return.

Simple is strong.

Let’s ditch the jargon. Bin the buzzwords. Conversations about building successful brands and doing great work shouldn’t need an interpreter.

I want to make things simple again.

At the end of the day, we’re here to persuade people, right? We need them to change their mood, mind and behaviour. That’s all.

The first step is to hunt for strategic advantage. It’s the only thing that leads to relevant, distinctive and enduring ideas. These are the kind that drive change.

Then we’ll build a powerful creative platform; the crucial bridge between strategy and execution.

Next we’ll create work that has impact, that’s effective and that’s proudly yours alone.

And because the work will be based on solid strategic thinking, you can keep it going. Every piece builds on the next. We’re not here for one-offs. There are apps for that.

See? If we think hard and different, things can be simpler. And simpler is always better.

The power of strategy.

I think of creativity as the sharp end of the arrow.

It’s the bit that sticks.

But an arrow only gets where it’s going if it’s balanced and straight.

That’s strategy. If the strategy is not incisive and clear, the work won’t be either.

I begin with understanding the business (and the people who drive it), the market, the challenges and the goals. If you don’t begin here, you won’t know where to go. So how can you possibly know how to get there?

The best work begins with this logic. Without it, there’s no magic.