Independent Creative Director and freelance copywriter based in Dublin. Available globally.

My process can be summed up in 2 equally pleasant sounding rhymes:

Simplify & Defy: I simplify complex business problems down to the one thing you need to say. Then I communicate that one thing in ways that defy expectation. I make it memorable, I make it count.

Graft & Craft: I put in the hard yards from the start, grafting through endless iterations, drafts and options to uncover the simplest answer. Then I craft it to within an inch of its life.

The result is work that moves something - be that behaviour, perception, conversation or culture. I believe ideas have the power to be both creative and effective, in equal measure.

Let's Work Together

Services Offered

  • I am available as a Creative Director or a copywriter. I can oversee teams or get into the weeds. For Dublin based clients I am open to working in office or a hybrid model. For clients further afield, I have a remote setup and can be malleable with my hours to accommodate briefings and timezone overlap.

  • I am available for direct-to-brand creative consultancy work. Creative direction, creative strategy and copywriting tasks are all within my wheelhouse. I consider myself a tone of voice specialist and am particularly adept at creating messaging frameworks from scratch. I can also work as a creative consultant to help guide you through the process.

Awards & Industry Recognition

  • Luerzer’s Archive: 7x “In Book”
    Best Ads: 6x “Ad Of The Week”

    Irish Audio Awards: 1x Grand Prix, 2x Gold
    ICAD Bells: 5x Gold, 5x Silver Bell, 20x Bronze, 18x Commended
    Effies Ireland: 2x Gold, 1x Silver, 2x Bronze
    Kinsale Sharks: 2x Silver, 4x Bronze

    Effies USA: 2x Silver
    American Advertising Awards: 3x Silver
    One Show: 2x Merit, 4x Shortlist
    Cannes Lions: 1x Shortlist
    D&AD: 1x Shortlist

  • 2024 - 2026 I have lead the Jury Selection Committee at ICAD for 3 years
    2024 - Outdoor Jury, Art Directors Club of Europe, Barcelona
    2023 - Preliminary Jury, Phnx Awards, USA
    2023 - Preliminary Jury, AdStars Awards, South Korea

Frequently Asked Questions

(That people have infrequently asked).

  • No, I charge a set daily rate. It’s the same for all projects, agency or brand side. Depending on the duration of the project or the scope, I can suggest a sliding scale of options if required. I can also quote a project price if preferred.

  • I currently operate as a sole trader out of my home in Dublin, Ireland. However I will shortly be applying to convert my business into a limited company to absorb my tax liability. I am available in-person for agencies and brands based in Dublin, or remotely online for anyone beyond Irish borders.

  • Conceptual advertising copywriting. I am a creative problem-solver for businesses, developing brand platforms and 360° campaigns. Usually this is through memorable ideas that customers can’t forget.

    I am particularly adept at writing scripts that make people laugh in an offbeat way, however I would describe myself as a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to writing, equally comfortable at emotional and powerful phrasing. I can write long, short and anything in between.

    I am also a tone of voice specialist having written global toolkits for huge multinationals, and brand platforms for scrappy challenger brands. Some writers hate naming projects for their subjectivity, but I think it’s the truest blank slate in this industry and I love casting that net wide. Importantly, I love giving small businesses the big brand treatment and providing local entrepreneurs with campaigns they think are out of budget.

  • A Tinder date in my twenties once thought I was a copyright lawyer. I’m not, sometimes I actively try to push the legalities of my ideas. I also don’t write blog posts, paid articles, editorial or SEO. If you offer money per words, I’ll quote you €0 because I won’t be touching it. It’s in everyone’s best interest we don’t go there.

    My background is in creative ad agencies, thus my focus is on developing creative campaigns and selling narratives and stories in a compelling way.

  • It depends what you mean, selling ideas is one of my strengths and I have a laid back demeanour in how I present stemming from a total understanding of the materials. I’m an over-thinker so I mentally prepare for everything.

    I don’t necessarily enjoy presenting to large groups or talking on stage. I can, and have, but I’m an over-thinker and usually an audience over 20 people pushes my brain into overdrive. It’s not hugely beneficial for anyone.

    I am comfortable creating and running copywriting/tone of voice workshops in clients’ offices or selling ideas to full boards of directors, but I’d rather not interview or be interviewed by somebody on stage to a packed auditorium.

  • That’s a bit eager, but I enjoy your energy. The best way to contact me is by clicking here, or one of the many buttons on my website that all redirect to my email. I endeavour to quote back on every request within 24 hours. I won’t ghost you and appreciate if you could extend me the same courtesy.

  • "What I valued most is how Mikey works. He listens and challenges in the right way. He takes feedback on board without defensiveness, leaves ego at the door, and is relentlessly focused on getting to the best end result. It makes him not just a great creative, but a brilliant partner to work with."

    —Nicola Ging, Senior Marketing Manager, FBD Insurance

  • "Mikey is a creative who can work across any client, in any media, in a team or solo, and does so with passion, his trademark Irish wit and most importantly, pragmatism."

    —Simon Langley, (Former) Chief Creative Officer, Wunderman Thompson Australia

  • "Mikey oversaw me in my first gig as a writer, and honestly, I owe so much of my ability, knowledge, and weirdness to him. Like every junior creative, I borrowed some of the best bits from my CD and I found Mikey has a lot of stuff worth borrowing. And stealing. Thanks for the ornamental frog. I made up the bit about the frog. Weird, huh?"

    —Paddy Dunne, Copywriter, The Public House

  • "Mikey can do what few writers in advertising can: that is to dig deeper into the English language, move past the expected, and find a turn of phrase that will capture your imagination."

    —Kieran Antill, (Former) Executive Creative Director, J. Walter Thompson, Melbourne