I started my career at Ogilvy Cape Town as an art director, turned copywriter. I spent a couple years there doing some cool work on brands like VW, Audi, Revlon, WWF, Mondelez, and SA Breweries that was recognized at Cannes, One Show and the Loeries. I then upped and moved to Dubai, joining ImpactBBDO on global clients such as Visa, Mars, Mercedes, KFC, Johnson’s and PepsiCo, and regionally on ADCB, Al Futtaim and Emirates, where I received regional award recognition at Dubai Lynx and the Effies. I then spent a year at Tonic International as head of copy, leading the team on Audi and overseeing junior creatives. I called FP7 McCann home for the last 3 and a half years, leading the Unilever and Nestle portfolios, winning at Cannes, Webbies, Clios and Effies. I then became a creative director with Saatchi & Saatchi handling the largest telco in the Middle East and launching the world’s first prayer beads that sanitize your hands. Now, I am living in Amsterdam freelancing with my sausage dog on my lap.
References
“I have had the pleasure of working with Kelly in two agencies. In fact, she was my first hiring when I moved to FP7/McCann.
Kelly instills confidence in every organization she works with on the quality of thinking, execution of ideas and copy and presentation of the same, and delivers on all fronts. She understands and helps create strategy (like all good copywriters should) while having the knack to articulate it in the most succinct and human way possible. Her sense of art direction and visual language is strong, while her strength on digital and social media is perpetually growing.
She is a consummate team player and can also take solo projects when the need arises.
Kelly has extremely creative ideas which have award potential, while at the same time she can manage client needs, expectations and always respects the realities of timelines and budgets. In other words if I may, she can give you the moon but can also create magic from mere moondust.
If you haven’t got the drift, here it is then. I would recommend her to any agency, anywhere.”
— Aunindo Sen, ECD, Publicis MENA / formally ECD FP7 McCann
“It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Kelly Tomes. Kelly worked for Impact BBDO for 1 year and 2 months as a Creative. I can state with confidence that within our time together I found her to be insightful and enthusiastic, demonstrating high levels of commitment. As a valuable member of my team, Kelly produced work for global clients including Mars, Visa, Mercedes, PepsiCo, KFC, Johnson & Johnson, as well as regional clients including Emirates and Al Futtaim. Kelly is extremely dedicated. She will always get the job done without fail and takes the initiative to identify problems and devise solutions, taking on full accountability for anything she works on. Kelly strives to create from a unique perspective, noticing possibilities when most do not. I have no doubt that Kelly will surpass your expectations and be of great value to your team.”
— Fadi Yaish, CCO and_us / formally ECD Impact BBDO
“Kelly Tomes is the reason we should all be terrified of Millennials. When I hired Kelly Tomes she was cleary a young and promising art director. She did extremely well, won some Loeries, and then decided to become a young and promising copywriter. The magnitude of this leap didn't worry her in the slightest. She made this transition with relative ease and now forms one of the most formidable young teams in my studio, and probably in South Africa. This year her "Terminal Velocity" ad for VW has won at Cannes and OneShow. It was the Lurzer's ad of the year last year. It also won a Gold Loerie. Her enthusiasm and smarts are hugely impressive. Her excitement and energy are an example to the sometimes cynical senior folks around her, myself included. Kelly Tomes is going to go far.”
— Chris Gotz, formally ECD of Ogilvy South Africa