ABOUT ME
Simon is most parts art director. The other, smaller parts consist of illustrator and designer. The remaining spare part spends too much time on Instagram. All parts are based in Sydney.
Growing up in New Zealand, he has always been known to his friends and family as a doodler. He's drawn over his maths exam, into sand at the beach, into his food, all over WIP sheets, and possibly on your face when you were very drunk.
Simon put these skills to a more practical use by graduating with a Bachelor of Graphic Design at Auckland University of Technology in 2005. He landed a job as a digital designer/animator at Saatchi & Saatchi and later moved to Colenso BBDO. Five years later he made the ultimate sacrifice of leaving NZ - right when the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup on home turf - and moved to Sydney as an art director at BMF. There he worked on numerous above-the-line campaigns and picked up a few awards along the way. In 2015 he took a short break from art direction to freelance as an illustrator where he worked on clients such as Nike, Smart, and collaborated with a writer to publish a childrens' book Liam The Brave. He also created his own project 'Superbet' which had gained much attention globally. Simon went back to advertising and became a Senior Creative at Clemenger BBDO where he worked on clients such as Hungry Jacks, Pepsi, and Tourism Australia. The work on Tourism Australia's Aussie News Today earned a Gold and Bronze Cannes lions in 2018.
Simon is currently an Associate Creative Director at DDB Sydney partnered with Steve Hey. Their combined portfolio is on heykoaycreative.com.
Email me at simon.koay@gmail.com if you'd like to chat about opportunities or discuss his favourite places to eat in Sydney.
AWARDS
2022
• SPIKES ASIA - GOLD - Social & Influencer
• SPIKES ASIA - BRONZE - PR
• AWARD Awards - SILVER - Social Media - Use of social media, campaign
• AWARD Awards - BRONZE - Social Media - Use of talent & influencers
• AWARD Awards - BRONZE - PR & Promotion - Use of talent & influencers
• AWARD Awards - BRONZE - PR & Promotion - Use of digital and social media
2021
• LIA - Bronze - Craft Production Design
• APCO Winner - Packaging design for sustainability
2020
• APAC Effies - Grand Effie
• APAC Effies - Gold
2019
• Caples Awards - Silver - Branded Content
• Caples Awards - Bronze - Digital
2018
• Cannes Lion - Gold - Use of social platform
• Cannes Lion - Bronze - Use of branded content for social media
• Caples Awards - Silver - Branded Content
• Caples Awards- Bronze - Digital
• AWARD Awards - Silver - Branded Content/UGC
• AWARD Awards - Silver - Branded Content/Online/Series
• AWARD Awards - Bronze - Integrated Social Media
• SPIKES ASIA - Silver - Branded Content for social
• SPIKES ASIA - Bronze - Digital: Travel
• SPIKES ASIA - Bronze - Digital: Content Placement
• SPIKES ASIA - Finalist - Digital: Use of Branded Content for Social
• Mumbrella Awards - Social Idea of the Year
• AdNews Awards - Media Idea of the Year
2013
• D&AD - In-book - Structural Design
• D&AD - In-book - Consumer Product Design
• Young Guns - Gold - Editorial & Book Design
• Award - Silver - Alternative media, individual
• Award - Silver - Individual and range of packaging
• Award - Bronze - Best use of media - Print
• Award - Bronze - New product development
• Award: Finalist - Film - over 30"
• SPIKES ASIA - Gold - Design
• Create Design Awards - Finalist
• Cannes Lions - Finalist - Direct
• Cannes Lions - Finalist - Media
• LIA - Finalist - Design
• Mumbrella - #6 Screen ad of the year
• Encore ad of the month
2012
• Caples - Bronze - Viral Video Marketing
• ADMA - Bronze - Product Manufacturing and Distribution
• ADMA - Finalist - Creative, Art Direction
• ADMA - Finalist - Creative, Integrated
WORK EXPERIENCE
2020 - Associate Creative Director, Wunderman Thompson, Sydney
2019 - Senior Art Director, Wunderman Thompson, Sydney
2018 - Freelance Creative.
2016 - 2017 - Senior Art Director, Clemenger BBDO, Sydney
2014 - 2015 - Freelance Art Director & Illustrator
2011 - 2014 - Art Director, BMF, Sydney
2007 - 2010 - Digital designer & creative, Colenso BBDO, Auckland
2005 - 2007 - Digital designer, OMD Auckland
2005 - 2005 - Digital designer, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ
