kendal smith
CD | copywriter
CD | copywriter
Life, to me, is beautiful. My love for the sights and sounds of the world, makes me a true observer. I'm a 'maddy', that's mommy and daddy, to a fifteen year old son. When I have spare time I either have a paintbrush, powertool, bread dough, soil, or a spoon in my hands. I like being busy, but best of all I like being productively creative, even when I'm relaxing.
To me, being passionate about this industry should be a given.
Being a writer has never been 'just a job'.
The title CD was never just 'my role'.
It's the collaboration.
Creativity is a calling.
And, it's fun.
It's the awesome opportunity of a brief, the thrill of a blank layout pad.
Ideas, especially good ones, are precious commodities. They need care
and attention, in order to be the best they can be. Ideas may be my
lifeblood, but words are my soul, and I hope to share a piece of it with you.
I am a through-the-line copywriter with extensive experience, covering everything from telcos and automotive, to fashion and FMCG. My growth
in advertising has been organic, and has enabled me to specialise in retail, B2B, digital, social media and activation.
I have worked at most of South Africa’s leading advertising agencies including Ogilvy, FCB, Y&R (now VML), M&C Saatchi Abel, and TBWA (OpenCo). I formed part of the team that created FCBi, which was the DM division for FCB.
In the space of 7 months we grew from a team of three, to a staff compliment of 25, having won 7 creative pitches in a row.
I have been fortunate enough to CD some of South Africa’s leading retail brands, including Standard Bank, Cell C, and Pick n Pay, to name a few.
I am a proud South African, and hope to spend the remainder of my career inspiring, empowering and mentoring young up and coming creative talent.
I was placed on the Ogilvy fast track programme as a midweight copywriter. This was an international programme where young Ogilvy talent from around the world, were exposed to global creative mentorship from local and international Creative Directors and ECD’s. The aim of the programme was to fast-track the Ogilvy CD’s of the future, a goal I am proud to say I was able
to achieve.
I also formed part of the original team that started the Assegai Awards, which focus on awarding creative work that works (results are judged on strategy, creative and ROI). I was a long standing judge of the awards on and off over the years, and a member of the steering committee which revamped the judging criteria in 2014, in order to accommodate digital work.
SPADA merit award, Caples Awards, Inkosi Assegai, Gold Assegais, Silver Assegais, Echo Finalist, Loeries Finalist.