“Mark is the creative OG. It’s not an exaggeration to say he kick-started a new era of creativity in the discipline of public relations. But what’s even more impressive is the consistency of his innovation. He continues to be the brain behind the industry’s best ideas.”
Dan Glover, Founder and Creative Director, The Academy
ABOUT MARK
Modesty aside, I’d be absolutely nuts not to lead with that compliment from Dan. I’ve held lead creative and board roles at some of the UK’s most respected creative communications agencies such as W, COW and MHP-ENGINE as a senior creative, strategist, consultant, industry commentator, trainer and mentor.
My agency career started in 1997 at The Red Consultancy. I evolved from traditional PR account handling (yes, I was a suit) and publicity into a creative news generation specialist. I was self-trained and developing ideas, techniques and approaches (with trial and error) in an industry where creative roles did not yet exist.
With a desire to be provocative, disruptive, and a consistent hit-rate due to an understanding of both earned media demand and insight-led work, Sian Morgan at COW made me the first PR agency Creative Director in 2008. I became the industry’s first ECD when I joined W from MHP in 2017.
I returned to COW as ECD in 2020 and left in 2024 to care for my terminally ill mum.
Now I work independently as a trainer, coach and creative lead for agencies and in-house teams.
CAMPAIGNS
I’ve developed campaigns for the likes of British Airways, Unilever, Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover, the NHS and charities such as The Children’s Society and World Animal Protection and always been hands-on with idea generation and activation.
Whether it’s Christmas dinner in a tin, defacing the Downing Street sign for blood donation, a pizza for bees or a dystopian factory farm toy, the buzz, for me, comes from provoking an emotional reaction and delivering maximum impact with meaningful, memorable outcomes.
ACCOLADES
That’s proven by the accolades accorded to my work, with over 150 major awards in the past 15 years. These include four Cannes Lions, three D&D Pencils, The Campaign BIG Paul Arden Award for Innovation, The Drum Marketing Award Grand Prix, two PRCA Campaign of the Year wins, and 20 PR Week Awards, including two golds for Best Use of Creativity (2016 and 2020).
Perhaps the greatest achievement was when the readers of PR Week voted the NHS blood donation campaign Missing Type – which increased blood donor registrations by a record 800% - as Campaign of the Decade in 2019.