Steve Girdlestone Email & Phone Number

Auckland, New Zealand

In a different life I must have been a barber - all the cutting and slashing I do to the copy I write. Brevity is a skill that is hard to learn. It all started with a nasty old Creative Director and his red pen, striking through all the needless words. I took that to heart and slashed away to my heart's content until I was happy. It worked wonders, I ended up with copy that was easy to read, engaging and fit into itsy-bitsy tiny spaces.And then I started to write content and I had to… Show more In a different life I must have been a barber - all the cutting and slashing I do to the copy I write. Brevity is a skill that is hard to learn. It all started with a nasty old Creative Director and his red pen, striking through all the needless words. I took that to heart and slashed away to my heart's content until I was happy. It worked wonders, I ended up with copy that was easy to read, engaging and fit into itsy-bitsy tiny spaces.And then I started to write content and I had to forget all that - I had to gorge on the content. "Ooh that's a tasty morsel of information, let's add that." Greedy, hungry to find out more is modus operandi. I like to add colour and personality with my writing. I am paid to get my client's noticed, to engage their customers. I can write, create pictures with words to give brands a voice. I have a good mind for strategy, looking at problems from several different directions. Show less

Auckland, New Zealand

This was fun, working with a bunch of very clever people - creating, producing and learning new things every day. Lots of social ads, retail and quick turnaround work that had to fly out the door faster than it came in.

Auckland, New Zealand

I wanted to learn more about the internet, so to give myself a goal I created an internet business that meant I had to learn new software, create content and learn how to market online. Ultimately, it didn't take off but I was richer from the experience.

Auckland, New Zealand

An agency that prided itself on putting clients before awards, and a great place to learn the culture of my adopted country.

Budapest

Warsaw

Warsaw And Budapest

I started off as the Deputy CD of the agency in Budapest and was then promoted to the CD position at Saatchi Warsaw. This was a chaotic time after the political changes in the Eastern Bloc. Western brands were flooding into the new markets creating a highly competitive environment. In the first year in Warsaw I oversaw 15 new business pitches, of which we won 13. The agency evolved from being a satellite office for re-dubbing commercials to being one of the most awarded agencies in the region… Show more I started off as the Deputy CD of the agency in Budapest and was then promoted to the CD position at Saatchi Warsaw. This was a chaotic time after the political changes in the Eastern Bloc. Western brands were flooding into the new markets creating a highly competitive environment. In the first year in Warsaw I oversaw 15 new business pitches, of which we won 13. The agency evolved from being a satellite office for re-dubbing commercials to being one of the most awarded agencies in the region and winning one of the first International awards there. Show less

London, United Kingdom

Everything about HHCL was different, it was their reason for being to shake up the status quo. They dragged the adverting industry forward kicking and screaming. It was the first time I'd encountered an agency where great ideas were not enough, they wanted ideas that created unique personalities that brands could own. With a small group of very talented people and radical thinking, they created a brand of advertising that paved the way for agencies like Mother.

Worked on BMW bikes and cars, Telecom, 3i,

My first job as a copywriter. Icons of the ad industry had just left the agency to set up Bartle Bogle Hegarty. I was a baby, relishing every minute of working at one of the best agencies in town. One year before, I didn't have a clue what a copywriter was or did. Now I had some to the best people in the world to train me. It was awesome.