About me

- 24 years of Global, Regional & local experience across Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe & Australasia

- Won the coveted D&AD Black Pencil in 2022

- New Zealand's Agency Of The Year at Spikes Festival Of Creativity 2021 & 2022

- Axis Agency Of the Year 2020/2021 & 2022 - DDB New Zealand

- Agency Of The Year at NZ Effies 2020

- Campaign Brief's Creative Agency of the Year in 2019 & 2022 - DDB New Zealand

- Ranked #1 Creative Agency of the year on Best Ads Global Rankings 2019/2021 - DDB New Zealand

- Ranked #2 Executive Creative Director of the year 2021 on Best Ads Global Rankings

- Campaign Digital Agency of the year 2019 - DDB New Zealand

- Campaign Best Social Media Agency of the year 2019 - DDB New Zealand

Gary is the Chief Creative Officer of DDB New Zealand and over his 24-year career, he has worked on some of the world's most celebrated global brands across Europe, Africa and Asia. Over this time the work he has helped create has been celebrated over 400 times across all the international advertising festivals.

During his time in Asia, Gary was voted as Singapore's most influential Creative Director 4 years in a row and led TBWA\Singapore to be the Creative agency of the year across South East Asia in 2017 & 2018.

Gary is now residing in New Zealand where he joined DDB Group New Zealand. In 2021 he was ranked #2 Executive Creative Director in the world on Best Ads Global rankings as well as helped take DDB to the #1 Creatively ranked agency on Campaign Briefs global rankings.

In 2020, Gary helped DDB achieve a back-to-back win across the region by winning Campaign's Agency of the year and then Agency of the year at Axis Awards in NZ as well as Australia's Award in 2020, a feat that had yet to be achieved by DDB.

This was just the beginning, and in 2022 he continued the success by helping DDB take home the coveted D&AD Black Pencil, the only 2nd Black Pencil ever awarded to an NZ agency and a career highlight.

Following this success, DDB New Zealand took home NZ Agency of the Year at the Spikes Festival in Asia for the second year in a row, bringing home 3 Grand Prix to New Zealand.

On a local level, Gary has helped take home the Agency of the Year at Axis Awards three years in a row, achieving another personal goal on his extensive to-do list.

But if you ask Gary what makes him the proudest, he will tell you it's the people he has worked with, mentored, and helped grow into the great creative people they are today, without whom Gary would not have this bio.

Gary's achievements

Site Achievements

Contributor:
Gary has been a Contributor since 25th November 2015.

Invitex3 Contributor

Creativepool Annual

Listing of award wins in Creativepool's awards

Annual 2022

Top 100 Creative Leaders

Judging

Gary Steele has sat on the Creativepool Annual jury.

Annual 2021 Judge OOH

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