Dave Montrose

An award-winning Creative Director with 20+ years experience, I’ve helped elevate brands including Google, Adobe, Zendesk, BT, & Vodafone. I’m a multidisciplinary designer, with hands-on experience across branding & branded content, advertising, web & product UX, and 3D animation. In a previous life, I built websites using front-end technologies including CSS, HTML5, jQuery, and PHP. And long before that, my career began in music magazine editorial roles. My extensive experience allows me to solve problems with a broad lens and cross-disciplinary thinking, blending brand and product strategy, technical literacy and craft, to help businesses and brands thrive. Previously Creative Director & Senior leadership at Publicis Pro, UK.

Projects

Designing For Better HR

ChartHop were going through a rebrand, and tasked Publicis Pro with re-designing and rebuilding their website from the ground up, including new UX, copy, and content, with the ultimate goal of driving product sign-ups. In just three months, the site drove more than 2,000 sign-ups for ChartHop's freemium tier product. The site now converts three times the traffic it did previously, engagement has improved significantly, and they're on track for record-breaking SEO growth. Winner, B2B Website of the Year, UK Digital Excellence Awards 2023.See More

Re-Branding A B2B Marketing Agency

The rebranding of Octopus Group, an integrated B2B marketing agency, to coincide with its Publicis Groupe UK acquisition. In re-branding, we looked to modernise and create a smarter, refined marketing agency brand. This was the second update of the brand I led in 2020 – the first in 2017. Prior to the initial rebrand, the agency’s proposition, brand messaging, tone of voice, and visual identity had never properly been defined, and lacked any distinct direction. We held a number of creative workshops with stakeholders to establish brand tone and direction, from proposition to messaging and tone of voice, establishing Octopus Group's position within the UK agency market. The identity was developed over a number of months, across everything from logomark and website, to office decor.See More

Promoting The Perfect Wellness Space

Plunge is a California-based company specialising in the design and build of high-end consumer wellbeing products, including IOT-connected cold plunge pools and saunas. Plunge briefed us to create a short 3D video to showcase the benefits, and ease of build of their saunas. Materials were referenced closely against their product imagery, with simple environment design featuring rustic concrete and plaster, while a single sun light and tree shadow was used to create a sense of natural outdoor ambience. Since releasing this full-length 3D advert to social, it's had a huge 2.7 million+ views on Instagram – 4x their highest viewing figure to-date.See More

A New Home For A Multinational Advertising Group

Publicis Groupe UK comprises 6,000 people and 26 agency brands including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett and Digitas, and is part of one of the oldest and largest (by revenue) marketing and communications companies in the world. For the launch of Publicis Groupe UK’s new brand, I oversaw the creation of a completely new site to reflect their exciting new brand identity. Built on WordPress for its simplicity and flexibility, the final result was a bold and individual site celebrated by the Groupe, supporting the main brand while holding up the individuality of each respective agency.See More

Taking A Closer Look At Supply Chain Risks

Sedex's Risk Radar is a platform for businesses to check the risks associated with their supply chain, from discrimination and poor working conditions, to working hours and low pay. The creative idea was based on one simple question: how might we show people inside the supply chain of products? The answer was simple: by showing the supply chain journey within the product themselves.See More

Work History

Independent Executive Creative Director

OtherFolkFull-time EmployeeOtherFolk is a UK-based independent creative studio specialising in brand identity, branded content, and digital experiences We partner with agencies and brands to craft what's-next. www.OtherFolk.studio

Creative Director

BattalionContract EmployeeJun 2023 - May 2024 • 1 yrIndependent design studio specialising in branding, web, events, apps and 3D animation for B2C and B2B businesses across the UK, Europe and US. Clients: E.ON, Plunge, Sungrow, IDlayr.

Creative Director & Senior Management

Publicis ProFull-time EmployeeDec 2019 - Jan 2023 • 3 yrs 2 mosSenior management of this 70-strong integrated marketing agency, responsible for defining and evolving the ideas and craft of all creative output, from digital experiences, branding, advertising, events, and editorial, to video and motion (2D & 3D). Re-established approaches, timelines and costs for all creative work to allow for improved stages of development and collaboration between a mixed-discipline creative team of designers, copywriters, UXers and motion, account teams and clients. While under my creative leadership, Octopus Group was acquired by Publicis Groupe UK in Q1 2021, recognised as Marketing Agency Of The Year, UK Agency Awards 2022, and won awards and recognition from The Drum B2B Awards, UK Digital Excellence Awards, PR Moments, and Campaign Best Places to Work. Member of Publicis Groupe UK's Creative Council, a leadership group comprising Executive Creative Directors and Chief Creative Officers from each of the Groupes creative agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Digitas, Publicis Poke, Langland, MSL, Taylor Herring, PG One. FKA Octopus Group, acquired by Publicis Groupe UK Q1 2021. Award wins, including: • The UK Agency Awards - Marketing Agency Of The Year • Digital Excellence Awards - B2B Website Of The Year • The Drum B2B Awards - Best Use Of Data/Insights • PRMoment Awards - Campaign Of The Year - Best Measurement Campaign & Evaluation • The Drum B2B Awards - Shortlist: Best Use Of Digital Events • Campaign - Best Places To Work 2022 Key clients: Adobe, Siemens, Kantar, Logitech, ACI Worldwide, SSE, Smartsheet, Visa, BT, Premier Inn.

Jury Member

The DrumPart-time EmployeeSep 2020 - Dec 2022 • 2 yrs 4 mosFor The Drum B2B Awards 2020 and 2022. Looking for great strategy, creative ideas, execution and well-measured ROI. Celebrating the B2B marketers bringing creativity to their campaigns.

Experience Design Director

thoughtbotFull-time EmployeeJul 2019 - Dec 2019 • 6 mosIndependent US-headquartered digital product agency of 100+ designers and developers specialising in Google Design Sprints, helping businesses launch and grow their digital products. Leadership for the London studio of 10 designers and developers alongside the CEO and Development Director. Invited back to Octopus Group (Publicis Pro) as Creative Director.

Senior Art Director

ValtechFull-time EmployeeJan 2018 - Jul 2019 • 1 yr 7 mosCreative lead, working with FTSE100 clients within multi-disciplinary agile teams on digital platforms and solutions. Clients: FTSE100 incl Sage, Toyota, easyJet, Taylor Wimpey

Head of Design

Octopus GroupFull-time EmployeeMar 2016 - Dec 2017 • 1 yr 10 mosSenior management team of this independent 60-person full-service agency, responsible for developing and maintaining the quality of the agency's design execution from web, brand, motion and editorial, to paid media and Out Of Home. Clients: Vodafone, Adecco Group, Bluejeans, British Heart Foundation, Worldpay, Zendesk

Education

Marketing Week Mini MBA with Mark Ritson

Mini MBA, Marketing2021

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