Executive Creative Director, Creative Director, Senior Creative Leader, Advertising Executive, Creative Campaigns, Brand Strategy Expert, Digital Marketing Specialist, Creative Agency Leadership, Innovative Campaign Management, Cross-Functional Team Leadership, Strategic Brand Development, Global Brand Campaigns, User Experience Design, Creative Project Management, Digital Transformation Leader, E-3 Visa Eligible, Australia Creative Director, USA Creative Director, Multinational Advertising Executive, Technology Integration in Advertising

Hello, I'm Damian.

I’m an internet-native Creative Director, Writer and occassional Art Director giving brands cultural impact, based in London (with full working rights).

I've led innovative brand, integrated, digital, earned media, social content, PR and advertising campaigns across almost every vertical at creative agencies and startups like McCann London, AMV BBDO, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, TBWA, R/GA (Google), LIFX and Rewardle to bring their visions to life, build their creative teams, nurture talent and win new business.

My work has been sold out in department stores, exhibited in art galleries, and covered by news media locally and globally, brought to life with the help of world-class teams, colleagues and collaborators. I think creativity, The Internet, innovation and technology are all pretty neat. I'm curious about Web3, Mixed Realities, Artificial Intelligence and what lies beyond all that in the future. And I've even named a restaurant.

My writing has been published by Routledge Press NY and my creative work has been recognised by Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, The Webby Awards (of which I am a judge/jury member), Spikes Asia, Caples, London International Awards and AWARD Awards, amongst others.

Always open to making cool things :-)

Contact:

damianasling@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/damian-asling

References

Evan Roberts. Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Tightknit Studio
If you’re considering hiring Damian, just do it. He’s got great digital knowledge, is curious by nature, a deep thinker and while quietly spoken, is not short of an opinion. The other question normally asked of an ex-employer is, “Would you work with them again?”; absolutely I would.

Russ Tucker. Executive Creative Director, TBWA Australia, Eleven PR & Media Arts Lab
Damian is a multifaceted creative who consistently produces non-traditional ideas. Also, he can levitate.
I asked chatGPT to describe Damian’s level of creativity and it broke.

Jim Curtis. Chief Creative Officer, LePub New York
It was a pleasure to see Damian’s brain approach a problem. He always comes back with unexpected, unique and sometimes otherworldly ideas. He’s also able to deliver this type of thinking at volume, which is always a key ingredient in this business.

Carmela Soares. Executive Creative Director, Head of Creative Shop ANZ, Meta
Damian never forgets the people he’s building ideas for. That’s why his work is so compelling, intuitive and useful. Damian’s diverse professional background also adds ‘incredibly original creative problem solving’ to the above list.

Mark Razzell. Founder & Director, Critical Truth
It can be difficult for analytical brains to work with creatives. Damian is one of the few who makes it a lot easier.

HONOURS AND AWARDS

SPIKES ASIA

Grand Prix - Integrated | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Grand Prix - Digital - Integrated Multi-Platform Campaign | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Gold - Digital - Tangible Tech | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Gold - Mobile - Integrated Mobile Campaigns | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Silver - Brand Experience & Activation - Use of Mobile & Devices | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

CANNES LIONS

Bronze - Mobile Technology Networked Connected Devices | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Shortlist - Direct | Deadly Questions

Winner - 2017 Global Agency of the Year | Clemenger BBDO Melbourne

Winner - 2017 Network of the year | BBDO

D&AD

Shortlist - Digital Marketing - Digital Tools and Utilities | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Shortlist - Direct - Direct Response | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

THE ONE SHOW

Merit - Mobile Games / Branded Game | NURO

Merit - Innovation & Transformation / Innovation in Gaming | NURO

Bronze - Use of Technology / Physical Product & Mobile Integrations | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Merit - Use of Technology | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Merit - Digital & Online Use of Smart Devices | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Merit - Innovation in Interactive | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Shortlist - Direct Marketing, Integrated Campaign | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

THE IMMORTAL AWARDS BY LBBONLINE

Immortal | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Immortal | Deadly Questions

ADWEEK

Winner - Global Agency of the Year 2022 | TBWA Worldwide

Winner - Global Agency of the Year 2021 | TBWA Worldwide

THE WEBBY AWARDS

Honouree - Best Writing | Deadly Questions (Amazon Alexa)

Nominee - Best Use Of Data Driven Media | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

AMAZON

Amazon Alexa Cup 2019 World Champion | Inner Voice

Amazon Alexa Cup 2019 APAC Champion | Inner Voice

Alexa Cup 2019 ANZ Champion | Inner Voice

Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge 2019 AUS Champion | Deadly Questions

CAPLES

Silver - Innovation | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Bronze - Integrated | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

PR WEEK AWARDS

Gold | Post-Pandemic Recovery (COVID-19) | Find your Fun Type with Carnival Cruise Line

LONDON INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

Silver - Integration - Public Service/Social Awareness | Deadly Questions

Regional (ANZ) PR Network of the Year, Winner | TBWA Eleven PR

MUMBRELLA

Highly Commended - 2024 Mumbrella CommsCon Awards | Best PR-led Brand Partnership Campaign | The Heinz Footy Ketch-Cup

Finalist - 2024 Mumbrella CommsCon Awards | PR Agency of the Year – Large | TBWA Eleven PR

Finalist - 2023 Mumbrella CommsCon Awards | Best B2B Campaign | Allianz: The Workplace Wave

Winner - 2020 Mumbrella Creative Agency of the Decade | Clemenger BBDO Melbourne

Winner - Mumbrella Award for Innovation | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Highly Commended - Mumbrella Award for Bravery | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Finalist - Best Use of User Experience | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Finalist - Best Use of Real-Time Marketing | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Finalist - Ad Campaign of the Year | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Winner - 2018 Ad of the Year | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

CAMPAIGN BRIEF

2020 Creative Agency of the Decade | Clemenger BBDO Melbourne

AWARD AWARDS

Gold - Integrated Campaign | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Gold - Mobile Emerging Digital / Connected Products | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Gold - Promotion and Experiential | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Gold - Innovative Product/Service Development | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Silver - Digital Tools & Utilities | NURO La Trobe Univeristy

Silver - Product Innovation | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Silver - Mobile | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Bronze - Digital Craft / Game Design | NURO La Trobe Univeristy

Bronze - Branded Entertainment and Content | Myer Naughty or Nice Bauble

Bronze - Direct | Deadly Questions

Bronze - Integrated | Deadly Questions

Bronze - Creativity for Good | Deadly Questions

Still reading? Cool.
Here’s what I do beyond advertising.

WRITING PRACTICE

In my spare time I am working on an as-yet-unpublished novel and currently a member of a few writer’s groups for sci-fi and fantasy writers.

IMPOSTER BUSTER

An experiment built on ChatGPT.

Imposter Buster is a compassionate guide helping creatives conquer impostor syndrome.

It uses generative AI, empathy and conversational techniques to help talk through challenges.

Bust your Imposter Syndrome

JIN SEI RYU KARATE-DO MELBOURNE

As a martial artist with a career spanning over 20 years, I have dedicated a significant portion of my life training, teaching and coaching others and myself in Full-Contact Japanese Karate and Kendo. I have participated in and taught international seminars, classes and tournamets helping others achieve their goals.

In 2020, I opened and operated the Melbourne karate dojo of Jin Sei Ryu Karate-Do. Enduring lockdowns and a global pandemic, the dojo still stands. Jin Sei Ryu Karate-do is a traditional form of Japanese Karate that provides physical fitness and self defence to people of all ages and abilities. After relocating to Sydney a couple of years later, I handed over the reigns to my senior students who continue to operate the dojo to this day.

I’m now in the process of setting up a Jin Sei Ryu Karate dojo in London.

www.jinseiryu.com.au

jinseiryumelbourne.com

GABBERISH 19: THE NEW (AB)NORMAL

The COVID issue of Gabberish invited local and international creatives of all levels, from a wide range of disciplines (from Suits in Boston, Executive Creative Directors in New York, to Juniors, Yoga Teachers, conservators and visual artists in Melbourne) about how they were using their creativity to overcome the challenges COVID-19 and defining “the new normal”.

READ

MYTHOPOEIC NARRATIVE IN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA (ROUTLEDGE NY, 2020)

This volume includes twelve essays that explore Zelda’s myth-making from the standpoints of literary criticism, videogame theory, musicology, ecocriticism, pedagogy, and more.

The chapter I wrote focusses on the game Majora's Mask and through a hauntological study, examines the game’s role as an apocalyptic fantasy-horror fairy-tale within the broader mythopoeia of The Legend of Zelda universe.

READ

THREE-EYED RAVEN CHATBOT

An AI-powered chatbot to live out GoT fantasies. When you asked it a question, the chatbot would tell you about your personal House and history in Westeros.

COFFEE SCOUT

Co-led the conceptualisation, development, and launch of Coffee Scout. A digital subscription service delivering fresh beans to coffee lovers once a month, from specialty roasters all around Australia. We quickly grew Coffee Scout into one of the largest coffee subscription boxes in the country, through a combination of paid and organic creative comms.

COFFEE SCOUT

REWARDLE

I joined the successful start-up Rewardle in its early growth stage. After a successful IPO on the ASX, my role as Creative Director was to scale the creative team, operations and product range of the national business and oversee all copywriting, creative, visual and product design.

REWARDLE

THE ART OF LEARNING: GAMES, PLAYERS, UCC AND PARATEXT (RMIT UNIVERSITY, 2014)

Master's Thesis which addresses the transformative role of the paratext (Genette, 1987) within the wider cultures of gaming.

Through the discussion of changing notions of mastery as part of the sociality and creativity within games, this thesis attempts to understand how the contemporary form of paratexts shapes skill, social, creative and labour dimensions of single-player games today.

In sum, how paratexts contribute to a gaming knowledge or “gaming capital”.

READ