His name is his work and his work is his name.
We've been summed up as 'getting inside the mind of our clients and their target audiences so well'.
Personal observations drawn from decades of experience provide invaluable insight that justifies and validates our perspective and perception.
He started out as a commercial illustrator/paste-up artist.
In February of '70 Gel entered a three-year full-time course at the Central Technical College in Brisbane on a scholarship.
He'd not yet turned 16.
By age 18, he was working in his first agency as a staff artist doing cut & paste finished art and directing photo shoots on retail accounts. It was there he was fortunate to script his first TV commercial (black & white back then).
A year later Gel went to work for a small ad agency that grew out of a print shop - no 4-colour process here only single colour presses!
He was never given a formal title but just told "Son, this is your responsibility!"
Without being aware of the role he'd signed up for Gel was responsible for running production, managing the studio of artists and doing all the conceptual work for the advertising clients.
That would equate to creative director/ art director…and then some.
During those heady days Gel got a 'swag' of skills under his belt - concepts, campaigns, design, Illustration, retouching, deep etching, production in print, press, radio, writing copy, photographic direction and client liaison.
Gel was rapidly learning the business from front to back, inside out!
A baptism by fire was more the reality.
After subsequent stints in various agencies, by 1987, he was a fully-fledged creative director in a regional agency.
"The rude awakening was that clients had the same issues as metropolitan & national accounts but miniscule budgets by comparison.
This proved an excellent grounding in real-world budgets on workable concepts."
Gel learned to operate smarter and more effectively losing the guesswork (or the 'I reckon factor' as he calls it).
It wasn't good enough anymore to 'come up with a good idea'.
I began asking why…why are we saying 'this' and why would the market believe us?
By now Gel was writing, directing and producing TV commercials, radio, jingles, press, print, writing copy, design, illustration, photography and event management…entire campaigns!
This is where operating strategically made the big difference for clients and himself.
Clients enjoyed good results and the experience was fun and fresh!
Around this time computers had become part of the industry.
He easily made the switch. Retaining the 'old school' skills was a distinct bonus.
The years have seen Gel work freelance and consult to large and small agencies and companies across the entire business spectrum.
"I love the two-way street of connection, communication (and feedback) and the partnerships and associations that presented along the way.
It's been the ongoing accumulation of experience, skills and the evolution of my craft that provides useful perspective and insight.
This enables me to do well for my clients now!
I'm really keen to partner with business that has a conscience about the environment, the people it employs, and customers with whom it does business and sustainability of the world we all share.
Business that views these things as a way of life rather than a philosophy impresses me.
In finishing, an interesting point.
My name is my work and my work is my name.
Evangelos - from the Greek 'the good word, messenger or ambassador'. "
