Shelby Hayden Craig
Executive Creative Director × Writer × Strategist × Producer
Hi, I'm Shelby
I'm a water guy, so complete immersion is all I know. For the last 15 years of my career, that immersion has been in production, advertising, media, content, branding, photography, copywriting, art direction and creative direction. People have called me a '21st-century storyteller who thinks big and has the skills to make ideas come to life', but getting your hands dirty is all part of the fun. To me, the whole creative process is essential, from digging strategically for fresh human and analytical insight to leading the creation of ideas to guiding execution in new, nimble ways. My hands-on experience has taught me what makes a brand great, the effective recipes for creative that performs and how to produce any type of content out there. Through it all, my belief in the power of creativity to change lives for the better remains stronger than ever.
Hailing from sunny southern California, I'm an ex-film/image-maker and producer who went into creative direction to create better thinking in communications. This creating evolved into leading content-focused creative departments in Australia, the US and around the globe. I've led production, creative, media and strategy teams at agencies like McCann, GroupM and MediaCom. I even started my own agency, working with businesses and agencies to create better work faster and with less fuss.
A few things I'm proud of;
• Growing a creative content team from 4 to 30 people nationally
• Mentoring three interns from fresh out of school to award-winning creatives
• Achieving the first One Show pencil for MediaCom globally for the branded TV series Air Rescue
• Successfully running and selling my own business
• Prone paddling two of the world's most treacherous channels
• Being a Dad of two brave girls
My work has been recognised by global award shows, such as The One Show, The Cristal Awards, Global Festival of Media, Spikes, Media Federation of Australia, AIMIA Awards, Australian Marketing Institute, Brave Awards, BADC Awards, Australian Banking and Finance Magazine, Campaign Brief Magazine, B&T Magazine and AdNews Magazine.
Always with a side project on the go, I'm currently working on a podcast series about life after sports called 'The Second Half' with my wife Jess. (check it out here).
Right now you can find me consulting with brands, agencies and production companies who want to make rad stuff.
If I’m not there, I’m taking my daughter surfing, paddling between islands, or making my own immersion-inspired art.
USA & AUS Citizen
SELECTED work:
Professional Experience:
Think Truck - Sydney & Los Angeles - September 2017 - Present
Co-Founder, Executive Creative Director, Producer & Brand Strategist
I co-founded Think Truck in 2017 as a collective of idea builders from the strategy, design, creative and production worlds. We deliver fast, fresh thinking that solves diverse brand, growth and communications problems for agencies, brands and media publishers around the world. For 7 years, I’ve led the business to average half a million dollars in revenue per year and led diverse teams of strategists, copywriters, art directors, designers, film-makers, strategists, producers and developers.
Work:
• Creating pitch-winning strategies and ideas for brands and agencies.
• Story lead branding and re-branding start-ups and legacy businesses through strategy, story and visuals.
• Executing brand and performance creative campaigns across media channels and sectors - both B2B and B2C.
Clients: Myer, Shopify, Headspace, Axon, A2, Bayer, Beerfarm, Boss Bet, Boss Hunting, Carat, ColonySix, Derwent, Facebook, Hyatt, Mecca, Hearts & Science, Infinity2, MediaCom, MediaHub, Mindshare, NetSuite Now We Collide, OMD, Orfium, Omnicom, Oxford Road, Side-Note, Theragun, The Park, The Versatile Gent, VICE, Virtue, Wavemaker.
MediaCom - Los Angeles - September 2015 - September 2017
Partner, Creative Director
MediaCom Los Angeles transferred me from MediaCom Australia for two reasons: One, to establish and lead the content department “MediaCom Beyond Advertising” in the Los Angeles office, and two, to provide global creative leadership for MediaCom Beyond Advertising, strategically based between the UK/EU and APAC creative teams.
Work:
• Led, created and produced the first piece of successful social content for Tempur-Pedic Globally.
• Led all creative and production of content work for the 2015 global Sony pitch, resulting in globally winning PlayStation.
• Creative and production lead across numerous new business pitches and content projects.
• Led a team of 15 creatives and a dozen freelance producers globally and built a cross-discipline content team locally.
• Creative and content lead for MediaCom Los Angeles working across clients such as PlayStation, Tempur-Sealy, RING, Silvercar, TOMS and others.
• Led global digital creative, junior creative, social creative teams, design and production teams.
• Responsible for working with internal strategy and planning teams to identify creative opportunities with existing clients.
• Responsible for creative direction in all new business pitches.
• Responsible for conceptualising ideas for all creative briefs across traditional (TV, print, OOH, display) and non-traditional media platforms (content, experiential, digital, social, integration, etc.).
• Responsible for pitching/ presenting creative to new and existing clients.
• Responsible for conceptualising and overseeing execution and production of visual direction. (Inclusive of colour theory, typography, cinematography, editing, post production VFX, colour grading, design, photography, interactive design and 3D design).
• Led production team to execute ideas internally and through external production partners.
• Creative mentor to several employees within the business.
Clients: PlayStation, Tempur-Sealy, RING, Silvercar, TOMS, Princess Cruises and others.
MediaCom - Australia, MediaCom Beyond Advertising - May 2011 - September 2015
Creative Director
Hired as the first creative director within the newly created content arm MediaCom Beyond Advertising,
Work:
• Concepted, pitched, produced and led every piece of creative work from MediaCom Australia for 4.5 years.
• Recruited, nurtured and led a team of copywriters, art directors, designers, filmmakers, producers and editors.
• Led digital creative, junior creative, social creative teams and design teams.
• Responsible for working with internal strategy and planning teams to identify creative opportunities with existing clients.
• Responsible for creative direction in all new business pitches.
• Responsible for conceptualising ideas for all creative briefs across nontraditional media platforms (content, experiential, digital, social, integration, etc.).
• Responsible for pitching/ presenting creative to new and existing clients.
• Responsible for conceptualising and overseeing execution of visual direction. (Inclusive of colour theory, typography, cinematography, editing, post production VFX, colour grading, design, photography, interactive design and 3D design).
• Responsible for working with the production department to execute ideas internally and through external production partners.
• Creative mentor to several employees within the business.
Clients: EA Games, Dell’s Alienware, Audi, Skoda, Canon, P&G, Volkswagen, Westpac Bank, Delonghi, REA, NSW & QLD Governments, NRMA, Princess Cruises, Bayer, Revlon, Foxtel, Universal Pictures, and The Starlight Foundation.
www.mediacombeyondadvertising.com
McCann World Group - April 2010 - May 2011
Creative
Work:
• Recruited as the first ‘creator’ style creative for an experimental style earned media-focused creative team.
• Led some of the country’s first ‘Mummy Blogger’ style content projects for Kleenex Cottonelle and Uncle Tobys.
• Creative across digital and traditional platforms for MasterCard, Kleenex Cottonelle, Uncle Tobys, Cure Cancer, Michael Hill, Lego, and Viagra.
• Responsible for conceptualising and overseeing execution of visual direction. (Inclusive of colour theory, typography, cinematography, editing, post production VFX, colour grading, design, photography, interactive design and 3D design).
• Responsible for conceptualising ideas for creative briefs across non-traditional and traditional media platforms.
Clients: MasterCard, Kleenex Cottonelle, Uncle Tobys, Cure Cancer, Michael Hill, Lego, and Viagra.
www.mccann.com.au
Shelby Hayden Photography - April 2006 - April 2014
Photographer / Owner
Publications: Australian Women’s Weekly, Inside Sport, Waves TNT, Jetlag, Riptide, The Surfers Journal, Transworld Surf, Movement and Bodyboarder Magazines.
Clients: Volkswagen, P&G, Cornetto, Hyundai NZ, Rydges Hotels, Sydney Children’s Hospital, The Sports Authority, Santa Barbara Salsa, Paragon Airways, Kisco Senior Living, Corman Leigh Communities, Classic Pacific Homes, Capital Pacific Homes, Rococo Laguna, Punta Dominical SA, Mission Hockey, Pacific Whey, BZ Proboards, Catch Surf and Hurley.
www.shelbyhaydenfoto.com
Jetlag Magazine - January 2007 - March 2014
Founding Partner
• Developed and executed an online interactive magazine for the youth travel market.
• Conceptualised and developed a strategic vision for an online magazine.
• Conceptualised ideas for expansion of website to web 2.0 capabilities and direct website design.
• Managed creative department and business operations, including photo, copy, research, accounting, editing and team.
• Worked with designers, advertisers, distributors, and other creative partners.
www.jetlagonline.com
Education:
Chapman University - College of Performing Arts/Dodge College of Film and Media Arts - Orange CA, USA
Art Center College of Design - Pasadena, California
Proficient in - Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Adobe Lightroom, various colour grading programs, and more.
Awards:
2012-Present
One Show (Silver, Merit)
Webby Awards (Nominee, Honoree)
Spikes Asia (Silver & Shortlist x2)
Cirstal Awards (Cristal, Sapphire)
BADC Awards (Silver, Bronze x2)
Global Festival of Media (Silver, Bronze x3, Shortlist x5)
Festival of Media Asia (Gold, Silver x3, Shortlist x6, Highly Commended)
MFA Awards (Winner, Shortlist x5)
M&M Global Meet the Millennial 30 under 30 (Winner)
B&T 30 under 30 (Shortlist)
BeFest Awards (Winner, Silver)
Mumbrella Travel Marketing Awards (Winner, Shortlist)
The Brave Awards (Shortlist x2)
AIMIA Awards (Shortlist)
Australian Marketing Institute Award for Excellence (Shortlist)
AdNews Media Campaign of the Year (Shortlist)
Australian Banking and Finance Magazine Campaign of the Year (Winner)
Campaign Brief Magazine 'The Work' (Winner)