I was born in Sri Lanka, an island described by geographers as ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean’. But i was raised in Stockton-on-Tees, a town recently described by the Home Secretary as a 'shithole’. This cultural juxtaposition afforded me the kind of diverse perspective agencies were desperate for a few years ago. These days...not so much, because racism has been fixed.
I first moved to London as a biochemistry graduate, to work as a forensic scientist for the Met Police. Which sounds cool, but was actually super tedious and bleak AF. The only moment i enjoyed during that time was the day i urgently whispered 'Are you telling me we've got a serial killer on our hands??' to a colleague. That was pretty sick, looking back. So after 5 depressing years analysing the darker side of London, i went in search of a funner career, confident i'd never have to wear an annoying face-mask ever again.
After completing the Watford Advertising course I ended up at AMV BBDO. There, I spent nearly two decades writing some of their most iconic work for brands such as Snickers, Doritos, Mars, The Economist, Tena Men, Plenty and – ironically - The Met Police. I also spent 10 years running the placement scheme; hiring, mentoring, and occasionally bullying junior creative teams.
I've got Cannes gold lions, D&AD yellow pencils, arrows, sharks, and all those other gongs that once impressed my mum, but now only matter to anyone thinking of hiring me. Sure, it's fun to go up on stage with Michael McIntyre in front of a room full of people who aren't listening, and who doesn't love sipping rosé in Cannes at the Yahoo pool party? But such moments don't compare to seeing your work turned into memes, getting to collaborate with your heroes, or being told you've 'won Christmas' by people on Twitter who enjoy competitive seasonal advertising.
If you'd like to talk about advertising, prison movies, or who's the realest member of Wu Tang Clan, please get in touch on;
- 07787 114638
👍🏾