I'm Naresh.
I help brands make friends.
#myadlife
Freelance Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Agencies and Private Clients
Aug 2017 - Present
The greatest gig I’ve had. As a freelance ACD and writer, I’ve had the opportunity to work across various creative disciplines in tandem to advertising.
From launching a novel in Bahrain to throwing a yacht party for a brand that can't really do traditional advertising to organizing Carom tournaments for labour camps in Saudi to working on what I'd call a very challenging brief - Sell and increase clinical trials of a dermal filler during the pandemic!
Through these few years, working with a full scale team and some times myself, I have successfully implemented strategies and products from brief to market for various agencies.
Associate Creative Director
XDUBAI
Jan 2016 - July 2017
As the Associate Creative Director, my role was to conceptualise and strategise the creative output of XDUBAI. From directing films and finding the best use of medium for it to using the best social media tools to get the most reach for all campaign deliverables - events, BTL, social media posts, etc.
With my team, we also successfully handled big collaboration projects with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Dubai Tourism, from concept development to overseeing final execution and worked proactively on other collaboration ideas for brands like BMW, Samsung, Jumeirah, Merass, GoPro and others. In addition, reworked the brand strategy for XDUBAI to move forward.
Senior Copywriter
Geometry Global, Dubai
Sept 2014 - Jan 2016
In this role, I worked on a multitude of MNCs and local brands such as Coca Cola and Dove to The National Bank of Abu Dhabi. As a conceptual thinker and writer, I had to create brand campaigns that were multidimensional. As cheesy as it may sound, I was a storyteller for each brand.
Copywriter
MEMAC OgilvyAction
Feb 2013 - Sept 2014
Hired to not just write but conceptualise for the brands in the agency's portfolio. Especially hired for my love for non-traditional mediums of advertising - mobile and digital being my strongest.
Copywriter
DDB Singapore / Tribal DDB
September 2009 – July 2012
Joined DDB immediately after graduation as part of the creative and social media team. With my strength of integrated advertising in my portfolio, I was tasked to find ways to connect to the new-wave of digital consumers.
schooled at
BA (HONS)
Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
2009
AFK
Photography
Leathercraft
Memes
Poetry
Watching tutorials for stuff I'll never do
Crypo Noob
#myhustle
Founder / Creative Director / Chief Maker
24TH Street Bespoke Leather Atelier
July 2015 - Oct 2020
24th Street - Bespoke Leather Atelier was, as the name suggests, a bespoke leather craft-house.
I founded this company in my fourth year in Dubai. A cliché story - I was looking for a particular wallet design but could not find it anywhere hence decided to make it myself. Friends started liking it and I made them some items. Word spread... and Boom! 24th Street was born.
The outfit started with crafting products for individual clients but soon made its way to bigger things. I soon started collaborating with big brand like Roger Dubois, Bentley, Glenfiddich, Lotus and more. I was also giving regular workshops in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With the pandemic though, when business slowed down, I pivoted a little by offering DIY leathercraft kits which really took off.
24th Street made it onto the national news in Dubai! It was a great interview (of course I attached it here). I can go on but rather talk about it in person, so give me a buzz!
Stuff I've won
Digital Studio Awards 2017
Hatta Is Calling - Best Content Capture
Cannes Lions 2014
Math Paper Press: The Offline Book
Gold in Mobile
Dubai Lynx 2013
Dove Surprises - Media Consumer product
MENA Effie Awards 2014,
Dove Surprises - Personal Care Services
MENA Effie Awards 2014
Dove Surprises - Brand Experience
MENA Effie Awards 2014
Pond’s Inspiring Women - Cosmetics and Fragrances
MENA Effie Awards 2014
Dove - Wake Up To Good Hair Everyday
Personal Care Services
MENA Effie Awards 2013
Pond’s: The Power to be Awesome – Bronze
Dubai Lynx 2013
Dove: Surprises - Bronze
The Singapore Creative Circle Awards 2012
CISCO: Flip Your Profile – Silver
Australian AWARD 2012
CISCO: Flip Your Profile – Bronze
Cannes 2011
Young Film Cannes Lions
UN WOMEN: Sex Trafficking
Young Guns 2011
CISCO: Flip Your Profile – Finalist
Digital Media Awards 2011
CISCO: Flip Your Profile
1 Gold / 1 Bronze / 4 Finalists
Cannes 2011
CISCO: Flip Your Profile
3 Shortlists
Spikes 2011
CISCO: Flip Your Profile
Bronze
EFFIE 2011
CISCO: Flip Your Profile
Silver
SABRE Global Award for Blogger outreach
Effie 2010
Starhub: The Great Singapore Treasure Hunt
Internet Products & Services - Bronze
Adfest 2010
Substation: Folder Films
Film/ Internet Film – Bronze
New Director/ Viral Films – Bronze
Cannes 2010
UNIFEM: A call for help – Finalist
Spikes 2010
UNIFEM: A call for help
2 Silvers - 1 Bronze
Spikes 2010
Kensington iGel: Chat Roulette - Digital Bronze
