About Me.

Hello. I’m a creative director with twenty five years experience, at both advertising agencies and at Apple in California.  Here are ten things I think you should know about me. Or you can skip to my CV below.

  • I’ve been lucky to have worked at some of London’s best ad agencies. Ogilvy. Eight years at DDB. Then Fallon, W+K, BBH and now Uncommon Creative Studio. I spent fifteen years working with creative partner (and good friend) Shishir Patel. He was the art director, I was the copywriter, but we both did both. Half way through our time together we made the transition to creative directors.

  • I spent six years running iPhone and iPad in Cupertino. As well as Apple Card, Apple Arcade and some other things. As a Group Creative Director at Apple I was responsible for the whole marketing experience, not just advertising. I oversaw over 40 launches and got involved in everything from events and speechwriting to technical filmmaking, web design, retail, channel, photography, packaging and more.

  • I always stay close to the work. I don’t lead from afar. I’m happiest when I’m with the teams, discussing the brief or the work. I’m in the reviews. I’m on the shoots.

  • I think I could have been a planner. I think the best creatives are strategic, and the best strategists are creative. Big ideas often happen somewhere in that mix. I spend a lot of time on strategy, talking with the planners about the brief, making sure it’s an exciting  enough springboard to work. 

  • I have experience running a department. I led a seventy strong brand group at Apple, hiring talent from all over the world, from juniors to creative directors. As well as managing my group at Apple I led the collaboration with other groups, including exec teams, software design, hardware design, interactive, AR and photography teams.

  • I know what it’s like to be the client. I know what that kind of accountability feels like. We need to listen to our clients and make their priorities our own. And we need to remember that they are the true risk takers.

  • I love film. I love all media but I’m passionate about film. The golden age of TV ads may be behind us but I believe film (in all its various forms) is very much part of our future. Cinematic content, documentaries, music videos, digital short form, gifs, moving posters, trailers, video journalism, films you interact with, AR, VR, the list goes on. I like to explore them all.

  • I have won awards. A hundred and something of them. Many very talented people helped me do this. I have tried to credit them on this site. Awards are nice to win but never the aim.

  • I mentor teams. I regularly help starter teams put their first proper portfolio together. This isn’t entirely unselfish. It keeps me fresh and always reminds me of advertising’s most important and difficult lesson. You have to keep it simple. 

  • I still concept. I still like concepting as well as creative directing. I do both right now for Uncommon Creative Studio.

Sam Oliver - CV

Email: hellosamoliver@gmail.com Mob: 07719716336

Summary

Sam is a creative leader with twenty-five years experience in marketing and communications and has worked for some of the world’s best agencies. For six years he was Group Creative Director at Apple in California, running iPhone, iPad, iOS, Apple Card and Arcade. He built and managed the now seventy strong brand team, oversaw over forty product launches and helped Apple to many industry awards, including Client of the Year at Cannes. Before joining Apple Sam worked in some of the top London advertising agencies and built a reputation as one of the world’s most awarded creative leaders. A few years ago Sam moved back to the UK and currently works as a creative director at Uncommon Creative Studio.

Qualifications and Skills

BA English Lit at Leeds, 3 A levels, 10 GCSEs, TEFL teaching diploma, Postgraduate Diploma Watford College Copywriting/Art Direction (top of class).

Skills include: Creative leadership, strategy, multi channel creative direction, writing, design, filmmaking, speechwriting, recruitment and training

Employment History

Oct 2022 - present Creative Director, Uncommon Creative Studio

Oct 2021 - Oct 2022 Freelancing (Cisco, ASKA)

Nov 2015 - July 2021: Group Creative Director at Apple, California. (Senior Director position)

Oct 2013 - July 2015: Creative Director at BBH London.

Mar 2013 - Oct. 2013: Freelance Creative Director at Wieden and Kennedy, London.

Mar 2011 - Mar 2013: Creative Director at Fallon, London.

Feb 2003 - Mar 2011: Creative/Creative Director at DDB London.

Oct2000 - Feb 2003: Creative at Ogilvy, London

Sam has won over a hundred industry awards (including Grand Prix at Cannes) and recently featured in Jason Sperling’s book ‘Creative Directions: Mastering the Transition from Talent to Leader’. Whilst freelancing was also marketing advisor to Silicon Vally based ASKA, a start up developing the world’s first privately owned flying car.

Personal Interests: Running, comic strip writing, gothic literature, hiking, being in nature.

Download CV. References on request