Simon Au is the North American Executive Creative Director at Kraft Heinz's internal agency, The Kitchen. Under his leadership, the agency has achieved remarkable growth, expanding to over 100+ team members spanning two countries and overseeing 15 brands, all within just two years. The agency has earned numerous awards worldwide, including recognition at Cannes and being named the Drum's Global In-House Agency of the Year.
Simon's driving force behind his work lies in sparking cultural conversations that transcend traditional media. His innovative approach has garnered attention in prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Drew Barrymore Show, Hype Beast, and Fast Company.
Beyond his contributions to The Kitchen, Simon is a dedicated advocate for diversity and inclusion in the industry, particularly championing BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation throughout his career.
Work
Executive Creative Director
The Kitchen North America (October 2021-Present)
Creative Director
Grey Group (June 2020 - October 2021)
Creative Director
John St. Advertising (April 2017 - June 2020)
Freelance ACD/Senior Art Director
Rethink Communications, Cheil Seoul, Taxi Canada, McCann, Zulu Alpha Kilo (March 2013 - April 2017)
Senior Art Director
Zulu Alpha Kilo (Jan 2012 - Jan 2014)
Art Director
Crispin Porter & Bogusky (Feb 2011 - Dec 2011)
Art Director
Zulu Alpha Kilo (2008-2011)
Art Director
Taxi Canada (2006-2008)
Art Director
Leo Burnett Toronto (2004-2006)
Education
OCAD University
Bachelor of Design, Advertising
Recipient of the OCAD Medal (awarded to the top of Class)
Also the following awards and scholarships:
Helen Elizabeth McGavin (Boyd) Award
Nora E. Vaughan Award
George A. Reid Award
Gail Yacula Tuition Scholarship
Aboveground Art Supplies Award
Glasgow School of Art (UK)
Visual Communications
Key Clients
Uber, CocaCola, Audi, Kelloggs, Visa, Puma, Canadian Tire, Telus, Bell, Toronto Tourism, Kruger, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, Giant Tiger, Workopolis, Google, Procter and Gamble, Pfizer, Corona, Molson Canadian, Samsung
Industry Recognition
Art Directors Club (ADC), One Show, Communications Arts, CLIOS, Cannes Advertising Awards, London International Awards, The Webby Awards, Art Directors Club of Canada, Epica Awards Design Edge, Applied Arts, Creative Review, Marketing Awards, Tomorrow Awards, Creativity Online, CMA awards (Canadian Marketing Association), Digital Marketing Awards, Promo Awards, Adweek Project Issac Awards, Obie Awards, Creativity International Awards, Atomic Awards, How Design Awards (Full yearly breakdown of awards can be found on Linkedin)
Other Media Exposures
Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Fast Company, Gizmodo, TimeOut, PSFK, NotCot, Devour, Elite Daily, HypeBeast, NBC news, CBC news, CTV News, ABC news, Engadget, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, The Independent, The Daily Mail, UNICEF
T: +1.647.299.6989
E: simon.au647@gmail.com