Paul Meates is an Executive Creative Director at ClemengerBBDO, one of Australia’s most awarded agencies. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at Droga5 NY - named both Adage and Adweek Agency of the Decade during that time.
His international award list includes a Best In Show, four Grand Prixes and an Emmy Nomination. In addition, Paul was listed among Campaign US’s 40 over 40 and his work has been exhibited at the High Museum in Atlanta, accepted into the MoMA archives in New York, and tweeted by Barack Obama (back when tweets were a thing).
Paul also co-founded The Great Brain Cell Sacrifice, a company that donated a book for every bottle of wine sold. In a two year period he launched three critically-acclaimed wines and donated enough books to fill seven libraries in America’s most under-funded schools.
RECOGNITION
D&AD
STREET CASTING | Yellow Pencil | Meta | “No Comply”
EDITING | Yellow Pencil | Meta | “Skate Nation Ghana”
STREET CASTING | Yellow Pencil | Meta | “Skate Nation Ghana”
IMPACT | Graphite Pencil | Prudential | ‘Race for Retirement’
DIRECTION | Wood Pencil | Meta | “Skate Nation Ghana”
WRITING | Wood Pencil | Meta | “Skate Nation Ghana”
SOUND DESIGN | Wood Pencil | Meta | “Skate Nation Ghana”
CANNES
EDITING | Silver | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
INTEGRATED | Bronze | Prudential | ‘Challenge Lab : Chapter two’
CYBER | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
ONE SHOW
EDITING | Silver | Meta | ‘No Comply’
LONGFORM CAMPAIGN | Silver | Meta | ‘We Change the Game’
EDITING | Silver | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
CICLOPE
POST PRODUCTION | Grand Prix | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
AICP
FILM | Best In Show | Meta | ‘We Change the Game’
CAMPAIGN EXCELLENCE | Winner | Meta | ‘We Change the Game’
EDITORIAL | Winner | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
LICENSED MUSIC | Winner | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
PRODUCTION | Winner | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
CLIO
EDITING | Gold | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
MUSIC | Silver | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
SOUND DESIGN | Silver | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
DIGITAL | Silver | Aust. Football League | ‘Most Precious Metal’
DIRECTION | Silver | Meta | ‘(Slightly) Life-Changing Story’
PRODUCTION DESIGN | Bronze | ‘(Slightly) Life-Changing Story’
EDITING | Bronze | Meta | ‘No Comply’
CINEMATOGRAPHY | Bronze | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
DIRECTION | Bronze | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
USE OF MUSIC | Bronze | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
WEBBYS
DESIGN | Webby | Aust. Air Force | ‘Paper Baron’
ART DIRECTION | Webby | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
EFFIES
SUSTAINED SUCCESS | Global Grand | Hospitals United for Sick Kids
SUSTAINED SUCCESS | Silver | Prudential | ‘The Challenge Lab’
BEVERAGES | Silver | Schweppes | ‘In is the new out’
SMALL BUDGET | Silver | Aust. Defence Force | ‘Source Code’
B2B | Bronze | Chase Bank | ‘A Point’s Worth’
FINANCE | Bronze | Chase Bank | ‘A Point’s Worth’
LIFESTYLE | Bronze | Ancestry | ‘Declaration Descendants’
TELECOMMUNICATIONS | Bronze | Samsung | ‘House to Home’
CX | Bronze | Norco | ‘Cows Play’
SMALL STATE CAMPAIGN | Special Award | Norco | ‘Cows Play’
SHOTS AWARDS
ANIMATION | Gold | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
CHARITY | Gold | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
USE OF MUSIC | Gold | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
SOUND DESIGN | Gold | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR | Gold | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
CINEMATOGRAPHY | Gold | Meta | ‘Once Upon a Time Everywhere’
EDITING | Silver | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
EDITING | Bronze | Meta | ‘No Comply’
BEST AWARDS
ANIMATION | Grand Prix | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
AXIS AWARDS
CRAFT | Grand Prix | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
ANIMATION | Gold | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from Home’
LONDON INTERNATIONAL
NEW DIRECTOR | Gold | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
DIGITAL DESIGN | Silver | Aust. Air Force | ‘Paper Baron’
CINEMATOGRAPHY | Silver | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
DIRECTION | Silver | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
FILM CRAFT | Bronze | Odyssey House | ‘The Box’
AGDA
DESIGN FOR GOOD | Distinction | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from home’
ASSOCIATION OF MUSIC PRODUCERS AWARDS
USE OF MUSIC | Winner | Allstate | ‘In better hands’
USE OF MUSIC | Winner | Meta | ‘We Change the Game’
GUILD OF MUSIC SUPERVISORS AWARDS
ORIGINAL MUSIC | Winner | Meta | ‘(Slightly) Life-Changing Story
THE ART DIRECTORS CLUB
CINEMATOGRAPHY | Bronze | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
DIRECTION | Bronze | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
BRITISH ARROWS | KINSALE SHARKS | CREATIVE CIRCLE
EDITING | Gold | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
EDITING | Bronze | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
EDITING | Bronze | Meta | ‘No Comply’
1.4 AWARDS
COMMERCIAL | Gold | Meta | ‘Skate Nation Ghana’
WARC
INTEGRATED | Bronze | Ancestry | ‘Declaration Descendants’
ADFEST
INTERACTIVE | Gold | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
PHNX
PACKAGING DESIGN | Bronze | ‘The Great Brain Cell Sacrifice’
SPIKES ASIA
DIGITAL | Silver | Ladder Fdn. | ‘Homepage for the Homeless’
GAMING | Silver | Samsung | ‘Clash of Commuters’
INDUSTRY CRAFT | Silver | Samsung | ‘Packed full of history’
PACKAGING DESIGN | Bronze | Samsung | ‘Packed full of history’
FILM | Bronze | HUSK | ‘Lightyears from home’
FILM | Bronze | Odyssey House | ‘The Box’
DIGITAL | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Behind the Visor’
DIGITAL | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
ADVERTISER OF THE YEAR | 2025 | Samsung
AWARD
DIRECT | Silver | Ladder Fdn. | ‘Homepage for the Homeless’
RETOUCHING | Silver | Schweppes | ‘Where Spring Comes From’
ART DIRECTION | Bronze | Schweppes | ‘Where Spring Comes From’
DIRECT | Bronze | Aust. Defence Force | ‘Source Code’
INTERACTIVE FILM | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
ONLINE FILM | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
DESIGN CRAFT | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
DIGITAL DIRECT | Bronze | Aust. Air Force | ‘Anytime. Anywhere’
USE OF MUSIC | Bronze | Odyssey House | ‘The Box’
PRODUCT DEV | Bronze | Ladder | ‘Homepage for the Homeless’
EMMYS NOMINATION
OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL | Meta | “Skate Nation Ghana”
Published Work
Paul’s work has also been covered by influential publications, published in coffee-table books and hung in museums, reaching far beyond industry press and driving deeper into culture.
LISTS
Campaign US 40 over 40
PUBLICATIONS
New York Times | The Berrics | Hypebeast | It’s Nice That | Forbes | Dazed | Mixmag | Elle | Vimeo Staff Pick | Vanity Fair | Wine Spectator | Wine Enthusiast | CNN | Fox News | Huff Post | Daily Mail | Wired | Buzzfeed | Fast Co. | GQ | Nasdaq | The Guardian | Insider | MSN | Yahoo Finance | CBS News | NY1 News | CNET | Observer | Time | Wallpaper | Chicago Athenaeum Museum | BBC | Cool Hunting | Nicki Swift | Inc. | Freakonomics | Herald Sun | Pedestrian TV | Gizmodo | Nowness | Today show | Thrillist | Grubstreet | Refinery29 | IMDB | Washington Post | CBS news | USA Today | Men’s Journal | NBC Sports
MUSEUMS
High Museum | National Archives | MoMA Archives
JURIES
Immortal Awards, Webbys, Andys, AWARD, PHNX, Black & White Spider Awards
Kiss The Past Hello. Assouline, 2015
200 Best Illustrators Worldwide. Lürzers, 2012
Hehehe Doodle. Barnes and Noble, 2022
The Right Brain Workout. Penguin, 2019
EXPERIENCE
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
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Leading the Sydney office’s creative talent and output, and member of the National Creative Leadership team in Australia.
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Adweek Agency of the Decade: 2010-19
Ad Age Agency of the Decade: 2010-19
Ad Age Agency of the Year: 2021
Fast Co. Most Innovative: 2013 | 2017 | 2019-20
Cannes Independent Agency of the Year: 2015-17
Creativity Agency of the Year: 2015 | 2016 | 2019
D&AD Agency of the Year: 2019
Shots Agency of the Year: 2021-22
Ciclope Agency of the Year: 2021
Ad Age A-List: 2013-17 | 2021-22
Adweek Agency of the Year: 2014 | 2016
Effies Most Effective Independent: 2015 | 2017-20 -
Gunn Report - World's Top 10 Agencies 2013
Cannes - Australian Agency of the Year 2012
Gunn Report - World's Top 50 Agencies 2009 -
2005 - The George Agency (Publicis), Melbourne
2003 - Rothco (now Droga5, Dublin)
2002 - brainCELLS Perth
2001 - Ogilvy & Mather Sydney
1998 - The Shorter Group Perth
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Curtin University (BA design)