Neil Richardson

Foot Locker were a retail outlet with no brand voice. I helped create one from scratch, working on everything from the strategy and identity right through to the launch films and the little stickers on the shelves instore.

The ‘Enthusiasm beyond reason’ idea helped them break a billion euros in sales, attracted millions of views and acclaim around the world, and kicked off years of award-winning work.

Girls are twice as likely as boys to drop out of sport by the age of 14. This shocking stat was the basis of a multimedia campaign from Liverpool FC and Standard Chartered.

Working with the guys at Octagon we created the ‘Play On’ platform which was designed to encourage and enable girls to stay in sport longer, giving them valuable skills learnt on the pitch to help achieve their goals off it.

The ongoing initiative received a lot of attention, not least from Holly Willoughby who took a break from ghosting Phil Schofield to champion it on This Morning.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is just talk.

Ever since Rock & Roll and James Dean, Converse has been linked with artistic rebels. So to promote their new sneakers, we hooked up with a new creative breed.

The shoes sold out in two weeks.

Nike wanted to launch in Russia. Rather than just doing ads, we started a whole initiative that physically helped kids get out and play.

The message was simple: in a country full of restrictions, sport could be a way to feel free.

What do you do when you hear that a poor little kid has been vommed on by a drunk Welsh fan at his first ever visit to the Principality Stadium? Hand out thousands of ‘TRY’ signs at the next game to prevent it from happening again. Cheers!

UEFA decided to a host a Women’s Euros game at the tiny Manchester City Academy Stadium, rather than the actual stadium next door.

We pointed out how bad a decision this was. Literally.

How best to wish the Welsh good luck in their crucial World Cup game against the English? With 1,200 sheep, of course. (Yes, they actually did this for real, with real sheep and everything).

A Christmas campaign for Walkers Crisps and Comic Relief raising awareness around the benefits of talking and sharing to improve mental wellbeing.

I like a challenge so along with my then creative partner, Oliver Farrington, we pitted our wits against one of the toughest categories out there: washing powder.

Hired as European CDs with the brief to make the brand creative, we soon launched a new platform idea that moved away from product demos and focused instead on people’s relationships with their clothes.

We created over 60 films in 16 languages, launched Ariel in social across Europe, and got thousands of people talking about the brand for pretty much the first time ever.

What more can you say about Corn Flakes after a hundred years of advertising? After noticing people eating them at unusual times of day, we decided to focus on that.

Special K had long been synonymous with dieting and fitting into a red swimsuit. Fine in the 80s. Not so much in 2018.

So rather than focusing on the calories that aren’t in it, we focused on the nutrients that are. Turning the brand into a champion of women’s nutrition. And turning years of decline into 16% annual growth.

Continuing the successful ‘Say Something’ campaign, it was important to give kids and parents the tools to have those tough but crucial conversations.    

To launch the Air Max 360, we animated some running shoes and projected them from a van around the streets of London, so they ran on air through the city. A world first - which helped them sell out in a day.

After helping win the pitch for Gillette’s global partnership with UEFA, I then helped write their first campaign. Featuring Raheem Sterling encouraging men to be ‘made of what matters’, on and off the pitch.

A social campaign celebrating the different, quirky and rather alternative ways that Dads tend to do things. Released on the only day they are truly allowed to get away with them - Father’s Day.

Pampers wanted to show their support for premature babies and encourage the nation to support them too. Our approach was to highlight the importance of sleep for them - with a 360 campaign launching with this emotional spot.

The INEOS Grenadier is a brand new 4x4 vehicle set to rival Land Rover. They wanted a platform idea to bring to life their launch content. Introducing ‘Grenadier VS’ - a testing programme ‘Built on Purpose’.

Working as CD on Ebookers I helped position them as THE place to create a unique getaway.

A defiant message from Londoners in the wake of the 7/7 bombings.

Before the whole world went vegan-mad, we sang the praises of a plant-based lifestyle to promote Kellogg’s first organic, vegan range. Rather than an expected touchy-feely ‘natural’ approach, we did the opposite: branding vegans as powerful. And used social to encourage a lifestyle change.

A selection of Nike projects from the archive, some of which picked up awards along the way.

FA Cup Final ‘07. A showcase for Drogba vs Ronaldo at the new Wembley stadium.

Ahead of the 2006 World Cup, I helped launch the ‘Positive Drinking’ campaign with this bit of fun. Starring (Rugby) World Cup winner Josh Lewsey and World Cup hopeful Peter Crouch. 

Europeans don’t really eat cereal. They prefer croissants, pastries, bratwurst. The reason why: they think cereal is just for kids.

A little moving card to announce our relocation from Covent Garden to Spitalfields.
Starring MD Kim Douglas.

A fully integrated, fully global campaign to launch the very new S60: a Volvo that's actually fun to drive. Developed alongside Arnold Worldwide and Euro RSCG 4D, it had everything from TV spots to twisted test drives to a website you could naughtify yourself. 

Cosmo Magazine asked agencies to create a campaign encouraging young women to carry condoms. Here’s the winning entry, which was produced for real.

Born on the rugged battlefields of Scotland, and handed down by a select few ever since, Drambuie’s unique recipe has survived for 300 years. When you uncover a heritage story like this, you should probably use it.

A selection of print campaigns.

After helping win the $80m global pitch, I oversaw the print work for the next two years. Branding Volvos as vehicles to be enjoyed together.

Volvo is a company built on togetherness, with social Scandinavian values and cars to match. Their employees eat together every day. When they invented the seat belt, they gave the patent away for free. And they’ve never, ever made a car with just two seats.

A multi-platform campaign celebrating the joys of saving. Now at a station near you.

Who wants to pay for what they already own? This idea and content film, written on a freelance stint, launched a national campaign.

Working with the guys at Octagon I came up with the platform idea for AC Milan’s partnership with BitMEX. The ‘Born To Lead’ concept has been a unifying thought across a range of media, including the ‘Born To Lead’ NFT collection. (Because all brands love an NFT, even if no one really understands them)

A selection of tactical work for the 22/23 season.

OOH: A message for Rebekha Vardy after losing the Wagatha trial.