Roy currently holds the position of Creative Director of Twelve Past Midnight (00h12), bringing his own distinctive creative firepower into his role at the agency. Throughout his 22 years as a copywriter, Roy has worked in a variety of distinguished agencies on a broad spectrum of brands, specialising in both through-the-line and non-traditional mediums. His diverse experience makes him perfectly suited to an integrated environment where he is responsible for weaving a golden thread throughout all mediums, departments and executions.
Roy began his career as a copywriter and creative conceptualiser in 1992 at Visual Impact, after completing his BSOC.SCI degree at Rhodes University and a postgraduate diploma at AAA school of Advertising. Before long, he was travelling the world, and on returning to African soil, he began working and gaining invaluable experience at some of South Africa's most prominent agencies such as: The Jupiter Drawing Room, Y&R, TBWA, JWT, Greys, Ogilvy Mather, to name just a few.
Having built the foundations needed to embark on a dynamic and rich freelancing career, Roy did just that. Seeking fresh challenges, Roy chose freedom and went out on his own. "Choosing to leave the safety of a large agency while I was a junior meant I had to rely on my own experience and instinct. As a young creative this was daunting to say the least, but I don't regret that decision for a moment. Although it was a challenge, it was an incredibly fulfilling experience that gave me the impetus for who I am today," says Roy.
Over the entirety of his career, Roy has been instrumental in creating various successful and award-winning campaigns for the likes of Mazda, Audi, Sun International, Absa, Samsung, De Beers and Edgars. Roy's vast and impressive portfolio has helped establish him as an experienced creative heavy-weight within the industry today.
Roy spent a period of his career specialising in radio as a producer and writer, and worked for a period at 94.7 Highveld Stereo. His other interests include script writing and he has produced a number of short stories and design works, including a series of collage work he exhibited at the Premises Gallery, beneath the Johannesburg theatre. "I live, eat and breathe creativity," explains Roy, "but words for me are lumps of play dough which can be sculpted into pieces of art."
Roy has always opened himself to being mentored and has learned from those who have worked around him. Today, he finds deep gratification in teaching and guiding new talent, imparting the knowledge gained during his experiences. He in turn stays inspired and continues to develop his highly individual brand of creativity through never ceasing to challenge himself, always learning through new experiences and connecting with interesting people.
Roy finds stimulation through hanging out on Jo'burg rooftops, enjoying the urban aesthetics and enlightening conversations with his close knit group of friends. Roy thinks having a bucket list is morbid and pointless, as he prefers living in the now. He loves music and is a passionate vinyl collector. He's dedicated a lot of time to scratching in dead people's vinyl collections, or flying around the world seeking out classic gems to add to his priceless record collection.
"Success shouldn't be about how many awards you've won or how fast you've climbed the ladder, it's about having the depth of wisdom to harness your creativity and turn it into intelligent business propositions that actually increase sales, and add emotional, financial and societal value. Success is not just about making ads that are funny or clever, anyone can fart into a jar and make an advert from that," concludes Roy.
