Carl Ratcliffe
This is The Day
carl@thisistheday.com.au
Carl has over a quarter-century of experience working in agency and on client-side, both. His background is rooted in brand strategy, research and planning, although has led a number of agencies here in Australia. His track record and passion for marketing and advertising effectiveness is well known and includes IPA awards for Waitrose and Virgin Trains in the UK, as well as Australian Effie wins for the likes of Macca’s and Volkswagen. Today, Carl runs his own brand consultancy, This Is The Day, based in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
Hristos Varouhas
True North Accelerator
Hristos@TrueNorthAccelerator.
Hristos – aka “H” – is the ex-global CSO on Apple and founder of consultancy True North Accelerator (TNA). To date, TNA has provided consulting and advisory services to a mix of Challenger brands (that need to reset their growth strategy), Disruptors (wanting to use their mission as a means to unlock new avenues for growth) and, The Disrupted (those in search of a new narrative that’ll reinvigorate their people and resonate with customers & investors).
Over the last two decades “H” has authored numerous award winning Effie and CannesLions case studies (along with the actual brand, messaging & comms strategies behind them).
Some of his most notable winning Effie papers include NRMA Insurance (Car Creation – 2013 Australian and AsiaPac Effie Grand Prix and CannesLion Effectiveness 2013), RaboDirect – Steal Back Your Dreams (several Gold Effies 2012-14), Tourism New Zealand and nabtrade (ROI Effies 2015), Telstra BigPond – “Rabbits” – Educate Your Kids (APG Grand Prix 2006, AsiaPac Gold Effie 2008), and, Siri x the Rock (Global Gold Effie 2018). Hristos can provide advisory input to help sharpen your team’s Effie drafts or consult as a writer.
Kate Smither
Tall Planner
katesmither@hotmail.com
Kate is one of the world’s most awarded strategists, recognised by all the major creative and effectiveness awards. Whilst Global Planning Director at Ogilvy in London, her strategic leadership on Dove contributed to the success of the Dove Real Beauty Sketches campaign. The campaign won over 40 awards, including Cannes Titanium Grand Prix and Cannes Effectiveness Lions as well as the Grand Prix at the North American Effies.
With a passion for understanding where brands connect to the world and with people, Kate has been lucky enough work on some of the biggest brands around both locally, regionally and globally. They include brands such as Unilever, Dove, Campbell Arnott’s, Commbank, Westpac, St George, FFA, NRMA, Cathay Pacific, AFL, Cricket Australia, Diageo, Beam Suntory, CUB, Schweppes Australia, Cadbury, Mondelez, General Mills, George Weston Foods, AGL, NSW Govt, Federal Govt, ALP, Freedom, Optus, Red Bull, Canon, Defence Force Recruiting, nib, Medibank, QANTAS, P&G SKII, Coca- Cola, Pepsico, Tourism NSW, City of Melbourne and Expedia
Kate is known for her commitment to cultural insight, creative work and to the industry more broadly in Australia and overseas. Kate is a regular contributor to industry publications, a teacher of industry courses and chair of the APG
Kate is also Winner B&T “Best of the Best Planning Director”
Philip Sheldon
Storymining
storymining@gmail.com
Has extensive agency experience having served as CSO of DDB, DMBBWeekes Morris Osborn, Clemenger and Leo Burnett. Both DMBB and Leo Burnett were named National Agency Of The Year during his tenure.
Upon leaving Leo Burnett he formed Storymining in 2003 and has written a large number of successful entries for APAC Effies, B&T, Adnews and Mumbrella Agency Of the Year, and award winning media entries for Multi Channel Network.
He has been a judge for the AFA Effectiveness Awards since 2003 and a Final Round judge for the Australian Effies 2009 – 2021
Philip is currently writing a PhD dissertation of “The Cultural Impact of British Advertising 1970-1989. A Socio-Aesthetic Study”