Account Manager

Agency scorecards report. VML is having a moment. The 'Wonderfully, Uncomfortable Human' creative shop was a shining light for Australia at Cannes, Spikes, the Effies and plenty of other shows in between. It stole the show at Spikes Asia, claiming 14 awards and being named Australian Agency of the year. Eye catching work included KitKat's 'Break Chair' which utilised gaming streamers to give hardcore gamers a chance to score KitKat's when they took a break. Its 'Thanks For Coke Creating' campaign, a global VML collaboration with Coca-Cola cleaned up at the D&AD and New York Festivals, while 'The Hidden Eye Test' for 1001 Optometry, stormed AWARD Awards and won international acclaim at Cannes. The campaign (see below) uses cleverly designed billboards that let people with poor eyesight know they need an eye test. 'Legacy Larger' was one of the standout campaigns of the Cairns Crocodiles, helping the agency pick up seven Crocs. Meanwhile, 'Commuter Camo', another banger for KitKat, disguised commuters who want a break on public transport with Hoodies designed to blend in with the public transport seats. All up, VML won more than 60 awards across the world with work that not only pushed the boundaries of creativity and effectiveness, but also celebrated innovation. It's the sort of creative performance that Tame Impala's mastermind Chris Parker would stand uop and take notice. This sort of success doesn't come by chance, VML spent 2024 laying the groundwork for success including a 'Creative Spectrum' framework that champions creative excellence and an unwavering focus on impactful outcomes. This was brought to life via an entirely new value stream that crafted a partnership with Rip Curl. VML shattered the conventional 'fee for service' model by aligning both parties around a shared subscription revenue model with governance, IP ownership, roadmap evolution, and performance measurement contractually embedded under a Master Project Agreement. For an industry often trapped in fee compression and short-term thinking, this innovative model offered a clear, outcomes-linked blueprint for VML (and the industry) for the future. The Advisory Panel were particularly impressed by this "fresh thinking" to a commercial model. VML's approach also led to new business success. It won 60 per cent of the pitches it contested, winning clients including University of WA, Kubota and Museums Victoria while retaining Horizon Energy, the Department of Justice, Shell and more. It only lost one client in Synergy. On the talent front, VML made one notable change when its commerce MD Kate Warren-Smith left the business after the global network decided to fold in its e-commerce practive. Thomas Tearle led VML to great heights in 2025, and has since handed over the leadership baton to Paul Bradbury, the former TBWA leader and industry stalwart. Meanwhile, Charlie Dejean won Creative of the Year in B&T's 30 under 30, and also took out the Grand Prix. The agency is not only in safe hands today, but is developing some of the finest creative leaders of the future.

Naji El-Arifi joins WPP after leadership role at VML. Naji El-Arifi has joined WPP, marking a new chapter in his career across strategy, design and digital transformation. The move comes at a time when the boundaries between marketing, technology and experience design are becoming increasingly blurred. Brands are looking beyond traditional campaign execution and placing greater focus on how strategy, technology and customer experience work together across the business. El-Arifi brings experience in agentic strategy and design, an area gaining attention as companies explore how AI agents could reshape customer interactions, internal workflows and digital experiences. As businesses move from experimenting with generative AI to considering more autonomous systems, the role of strategy and design is becoming increasingly important. For agencies and marketing organizations, this shift creates a new set of challenges. AI-led experiences need to be useful and scalable, but they also need clear purpose, strong governance and a deep understanding of how people interact with technology. El-Arifi's move to WPP reflects the growing importance of leaders who can work across strategy, design and emerging technology. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in marketing and customer experience, the ability to connect technological possibilities with practical business needs will likely become a bigger part of agency and brand strategy.

VML promotes Cannes-winning ECDs. The two creatives behind some of South Africa's most-loved creative and Cannes-awarded work of the last few years, Nhlanhla Ngcobo and Theo Ferreira, have been promoted to group executive creative directors at VML. 29 Jun 2026 Nhlanhla Ngcobo (left) and Theo Ferreira (right) have been promoted to group executive creative directors at VML (Images supplied, Image composite by Lesley Svenson @ Bizcommunity) Both previously held the title of executive creative director. Lunch Bar out of this world. Ferreira led the team that introduced South Africa to Bra Lucas Baloyi, the teacher-turned-conspiracy-theorist with a fondness for Lunch Bars. The original campaign, with its feel-good, quirky storyline and meticulous attention to craft, was an instant hit with audiences and juries alike. It went viral on social media, scooped numerous awards and had Lunch Bars flying off the shelves faster than flying saucers. Follow-up campaigns have been equally successful, turning Bra Lucas into a cultural icon, synonymous with the Lunch Bar brand. "Theo has this combination of innate creativity, a keen eye for craft, and a strategic mind. That's how you get a wacky idea like aliens coming to Earth to steal chocolate bars and turn it into a hugely successful campaign," says VML South Africa CEO Jarred Cinman. "He's also an inspirational leader who creates the kind of environment where his team feels supported to be a little outrageous and can really do their best work. I'm excited to see him grow into this new role." 24 Jun 2024 The tastemaker who took South African heritage global. Ngcobo is the creative leader behind Vaseline's Mntana ka Gogo Heritage Day post, which went viral both locally and internationally, and has been collecting silverware on the international awards circuit. It was recognised at the Clios, the One Show, D&AD and most recently, scooped a Silver Lion at Cannes. "What really stood out about that campaign was how simple it was," says Cinman. "No big production; no gimmicky special effects. It was just beautiful, impactful, human-first storytelling that resonated with a nation. "And that's what Nhlanhla is so good at: he sees those human stories in everyday rituals and knows how to capture them in a way that makes people feel seen. He's the kind of leader that people want to emulate, and I know the teams will do amazing work under his leadership."