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Highly experienced Creative Director and Art Direction leader with 20+ years driving content production excellence across consumer brands, retail, and technology sectors. Proven expertise in establishing best practice processes, managing complex production workflows spanning in-camera, CGI, automation and emerging GenAI technologies, while delivering exceptional visual content that drives commercial results. Skilled at defining creative direction from brief to delivery, managing agency partnerships, and building high- performing teams in fast-paced, matrix environments. Track record of leading multi-market campaigns, optimising production efficiency, and translating brand strategy into compelling content across all channels. Award-winning work recognised for innovation, quality, and measurable business impact.…Highly experienced Creative Director and Art Direction leader with 20+ years driving content production excellence across consumer brands, retail, and technology sectors. Proven expertise in establishing best practice processes, managing complex production workflows spanning in-camera, CGI, automation and emerging GenAI technologies, while delivering exceptional visual content that drives commercial results. Skilled at defining creative direction from brief to delivery, managing agency partnerships, and building high- performing teams in fast-paced, matrix environments. Track record of leading multi-market campaigns, optimising production efficiency, and translating brand strategy into compelling content across all channels. Award-winning work recognised for innovation, quality, and measurable business impact.

Duncan Stafford

Creative Director, Art Director, Designer, +7

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Highly experienced Creative Director and Art Direction leader with 20+ years driving content production excellence across consumer brands, retail, and technology sectors. Proven expertise in establishing best practice processes, managing complex production workflows spanning in-camera, CGI, automation and emerging GenAI technologies, while delivering exceptional visual content that drives commercial results. Skilled at defining creative direction from brief to delivery, managing agency partnerships, and building high- performing teams in fast-paced, matrix environments. Track record of leading multi-market campaigns, optimising production efficiency, and translating brand strategy into compelling content across all channels. Award-winning work recognised for innovation, quality, and measurable business impact.…Highly experienced Creative Director and Art Direction leader with 20+ years driving content production excellence across consumer brands, retail, and technology sectors. Proven expertise in establishing best practice processes, managing complex production workflows spanning in-camera, CGI, automation and emerging GenAI technologies, while delivering exceptional visual content that drives commercial results. Skilled at defining creative direction from brief to delivery, managing agency partnerships, and building high- performing teams in fast-paced, matrix environments. Track record of leading multi-market campaigns, optimising production efficiency, and translating brand strategy into compelling content across all channels. Award-winning work recognised for innovation, quality, and measurable business impact.

Available to hire

Highly experienced Creative Director and Art Direction leader with 20+ years driving content production excellence across consumer brands, retail, and technology sectors. Proven expertise in establishing best practice processes, managing complex production workflows spanning in-camera, CGI, automation and emerging GenAI technologies, while
delivering exceptional visual content that drives commercial results.
Skilled at defining creative direction from brief to delivery, managing agency partnerships, and building high-
performing teams in fast-paced, matrix environments. Track record of leading multi-market campaigns, optimising production efficiency, and translating brand strategy into compelling content across all channels. Award-winning work recognised for innovation, quality, and measurable business impact.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Intermediate

Intermediate

Advertising Illustration

Intermediate

Work Experience

Creative Director – Freelance at Freelance / Self-employed

January 1, 2024 - Present

Providing strategic creative direction and hands-on execution for high-growth brands including sustainability-focused B2B & D2C businesses, global retail clients, and digital-first startups. Leading content production, team coordination, and campaign execution across paid and organic channels. Led complete brand repositioning and content strategy for sustainability D2C brand, developing visual identity, social content strategy, and Series A pitch materials that secured funding. Created performance-driven creative frameworks for a global retail client, balancing premium aesthetics with conversion-focused content across paid social, display, and organic channels. Managed end-to-end content production including concepting, art direction, editing oversight, and asset optimisation for multi-channel deployment. Collaborated with London agencies on integrated campaigns, maintaining creative consistency while adapting content for different platforms and audience segments. Developed and impleme

Global Advertising Art Director at Dyson UK – Global Creative and Advertising, Tetbury

January 1, 2019 - August 31, 2024

Led creative strategy and execution for global product launches across direct-to-consumer and retail channels. Translated product innovation into premium content that drove awareness, consideration, and conversion across paid advertising, organic social, e-commerce, and retail touchpoints. Developed and executed integrated campaign strategies for new product launches across global markets, balancing brand storytelling with performance objectives. Managed creative production from concept through delivery including video content (TVC, social films, product demos), photography, motion graphics, and static assets optimized for each platform. Led creative team coordination including filmmakers, photographers, editors, CGI specialists, and designers, ensuring consistent quality and on-time delivery across multiple concurrent launches. Collaborated with e-commerce, product marketing, and regional teams to maintain premium positioning while driving measurable commercial results. Established cr

Digital Creative Lead at Auto Trader – Advertising, London

May 1, 2014 - January 31, 2019

Led creative strategy and execution for premium automotive brand partnerships, developing performance-driven campaigns that generated millions in incremental revenue. Managed creative teams and production workflows while maintaining brand integrity across paid advertising and organic content. Created award-winning direct response campaigns combining brand storytelling with conversion-focused creative, achieving significant uplift in sales and engagement metrics. Led a team including designers, video editors, and content producers, setting quality standards and providing hands-on direction throughout production. Developed content strategies leveraging platform-specific best practices (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Display) while maintaining cohesive brand narratives. Managed relationships with brand clients, presenting concepts and results to senior stakeholders. Collaborated with data teams to optimise creative performance, using insights to inform content strategy and iterations. Over

Creative Lead at Microsoft UK – Microsoft Advertising, London

November 1, 2012 - January 31, 2014

Led creative development for major FMCG and retail brand campaigns including Sainsbury's seasonal activations. Managed content production across digital and traditional channels, balancing creative ambition with commercial objectives.

Creative Director at Dennis Publishing – Advertising, London

November 1, 2010 - November 30, 2012

Led creative direction for premium lifestyle and entertainment brand partnerships. Managed content creation teams and production workflows for integrated campaigns across print and digital.

Various Creative Leadership Roles at Sainted Image / talkSport UTV / Emap Australia / leading UK media brands

January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2010

Progressive leadership roles across publishing, media, and advertising; positions included Managing Director at Sainted Image, Digital Art Director at talkSport UTV, Creative Director at Emap Australia, and Art Director roles with leading UK media brands.