John Koay is aN Executive Creative Director known for hot fiery explosions made from hot & spicy chicken, creating a designer pizza table, edible nail polishes that tasted like fried chicken, making a digital BFF that helped you train for a marathon, designing a series of exclusive trading cards that got sneaker fans literally fighting for them...
he has worked at some of the world’s most renowned agencies ACROSS AUCKLAND, SYDNEY AND HONG KONG INCLUDING Colenso BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, The Campaign Palace, JWT, Ogilvy, AND IS CURRENTLY at edelman leading the creative output, developing talent, and driving key businesses ACROSS ASIA.
He has transformed and grown a variety of brands with effective business results such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Nike, Toyota, Panasonic, Telecom New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Westpac Bank, Nestle brands, Kelloggs brands, New South Wales Government, Johnson & Johnson and Heineken and much more...
His work has been been awarded at every global, regional and local show including Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio Awards, Art directors club, Asia Spikes, Adfest, AWARD, Effies, New York Festivals, London International Award, Axis Awards, The Webby Awards, Kam Fan and AMES. He has also been invited as a judge at several award shows, most recently at Cannes Lions, New York Festivals and AWARD.
In 2018 he was honoured to be named the 4th most awarded Creative Director in the world and propelled Ogilvy Hong Kong to 8th most globally awarded agency in The Big Won rankings '18. His KFC Hot & Spicy campaign won the most gold Cannes Lions as a single campaign that year and it was also the 3rd most globally awarded campaign in the world.
In his personal life he enjoys travelling, eating more than he should, collecting sneakers and is ranked the last when it comes to cooking, remembering passwords and finding his keys.
2022 - CURRENT
EDELMAN: REGIONAL EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
HONG KONG, TAIWAN, THAILAND
MY ROLE IS TO HEAD THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE REGION, EXPAND THE CREATIVE OFFERINGS AND TO GROW KEY BUSINESSES WITH C-SUITE CLIENTS IN THE REGION USING THE POWER OF CREATIVITY.
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2018 - 2022
OGILVY: EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
HONG KONG
MY ROLE IS TO HEAD THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT IN THE HONG KONG OFFICE AND PARTNER WITH OUR SENIOR CLIENTS TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS THROUGH EFFECTIVE CREATIVITY. MY FOCUS IS TO LEAD THE AGENCY AND CREATE FAMOUS WORK LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, ATTRACTING TALENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND WINNING NEW BUSINESS ALONGSIDE MY BUSINESS PARTNERS.
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2016 – 2018
Ogilvy: Creative Director & Business Partner
Hong Kong
My responsibilities includeD overlooking all the creative as well as manage account management teams. As part of the senior management board, my focus WAs to farm and increase creative and business opportunities with our senior clients. My primary focus to transform traditional CREATIVE OUTPUT into digital and experiential solutions and create integrated world class work that is recognised locally and internationally.
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2013 – 2015
Ogilvy: Creative Director
Hong Kong
In this role, I was responsible in overlooking the creative department with a special focus on mentoring young talent. As a result, two of my young creative teams were placed first and third place each consecutive year at Kam Fan Award’s top young creatives in Hong Kong. Clients included Nike, KFC, Pizza Hut, Standard Chartered, SmarTone, Prudential, Ribena, Lucozade.
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2012 – 2013
JWT: Senior Art Director
Sydney, Australia
I was responsible for integrated campaigns and managing two young creative teams on clients such as Kit Kat, Smarties, Kelloggs, Berocca, Canesten, Nokia, Panasonic and New South Wales Rural Fire Service.
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2009-2012
The Campaign Palace: Art Director
Sydney, Australia
I was responsible for integrated campaigns for a variety of key iconic Australian brands such as Bonds, Berlei, Panasonic, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, and Dominoes Pizza.
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2006 – 2009
Saatchi & Saatchi: Art Director
Auckland, New Zealand
I was working on key local and regional clients such as TVNZ, Telecom New Zealand, Yelow Pages, Toyota, Lexus, Emirates and Sealord.
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2006 – 2006
Colenso BBDO: Art Director
Auckland, New Zealand
I was working on local clients such as Air New Zealand, TV3, and Just Juice
