Jason Gormley and Steve McKenzie, the duo who created Peperami’s
famous ’it’s a bit of an animal’ campaign, are teaming up again to work
at St Luke’s.
The Australian-born creatives - Campaign Faces to Watch in 1995 - split
two years ago when McKenzie left London to work overseas. However, they
paired up again last month in London and began talking to St Luke’s.
They will begin as senior creatives at the agency next week, working on
accounts including Midland Bank, Teletext, Ikea and Fox’s biscuits.
Gormley explained that the agency’s unique co-ownership structure and
creative buzz was what had attracted them: ’There’s no-one else out
there quite like St Luke’s,’ he said.
Gormley, the copywriter, and McKenzie, the art director, both began
their London careers in the early 90s at Still Price Lintas. It was
during their time there that the duo picked up two silver awards
at the Cannes International Advertising Festival for a campaign that
introduced the aggressive animated Peperami character.
They were also responsible for an award-winning campaign for Batchelor’s
Mushy Peas, in which the peas are shown turning mushy when they start to
reminisce about their past happy lives.
In 1994, the pair moved to BMP DDB, but McKenzie quit in 1995 to work
for Bates in Hong Kong.
Gormley remained at BMP DDB, where he worked with Ewan Paterson on
campaigns that included the Michelob ’gospel according to St Louis’
television spots. He left the agency last November, ’looking for a
change’.
McKenzie returned to London earlier this year and had a seven-month
stint at Delaney Fletcher Bozell. He left in October to team up again
with Gormley, who had just returned from a period travelling abroad.
Gormley and McKenzie will report to the St Luke’s joint creative
directors, Al Young and Julian Vizard. ’Their work is so fresh and not
at all formulaic,’ Vizard commented. ’They’re not award-chasers either,
they think deeply about a client’s problems - and they’re very nice
guys.’
