Whybin\TBWA\Tequila Sydney creative director Matt Kemsley resigns after four-and-a-half years

January 28 2011, 11:50 am | BY Lynchy | 7 Comments

MattKemsley.pngCB EXCLUSIVE: Whybin\TBWA\Tequila, Sydney creative director Matt Kemsley has resigned from the agency after four-and-a-half years. He’s currently taking a three-month break but is in early talks with a number of agencies as well as exploring opportunities to start-up his own agency. His preference is to remain in Australia.

Kemsley was hired by former ECD Garry Horner as deputy CD in October 2006 from BBH London. He partnered with Horner on key campaigns and was promoted to CD in 2007.

When Horner – now the ECD at The Brand Agency in Perth – left Whybinsin May 2010, Kemsley continued working at the agency, reporting tonewly installed ECDs Dave Bowman and Matty Burton.

Kemsley told CB he’d had four-and-a-half fantastic years at Whybins andas an agency it is in much better shape than when he joined, but he’s decided it’s time to take on a new challenge.

“It’s entirely my decision. When I decided to call it a day just beforeChristmas, I promised my wife that I’d take three months off and I’m nowhalfway through that break. I’d had early talks with several agenciesand also with certain individuals about a start-up. I’m enjoying having abreak but I’m very excited and confident 2011 will bring a greatnew job,” said Kemsley.

One of the things he enjoyed about working at Whybin was that the workis truly integrated, something he is looking for in his new role. He created campaigns for clients including Visa, Fairfax’s Sydney Morning Herald, RaboDirect and Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA).

Kemsley got his first break at BBH in 1989, becoming head-of-type two years later, where he worked on some of their most famous campaigns including Levis, Audi, Haagen Daz and Boddingtons. After a brief stint at The Campaign Palace in Auckland, he became a founding member of Whybin TBWA Auckland in 1996, taking over the reins of CD in 1998.

In 2000 he returned to the UK and to BBH, joining the board and becoming Head of Design. Over the past six years, he has written and art directed many campaigns including those for Lynx Pulse, Vodaphone, Robinsons Juices, Smirnoff and Castlmaine XXXX.