TBWA\SA welcomes back trailblazing creative director

TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris has welcomed Steph Van Niekerk back to the TBWA\SA collective as executive creative director. 

As one of the industry’s top talents, Van Niekerk was ranked as number one creative director and copywriter in SA in 2019 and is a recipient of Campaign Magazine’s Female Frontier Award.

With traditional and digital skills honed over 20 years at some of SA’s best agencies, she is a courageous, big-idea creative that believes in integrated platform-agnostic storytelling, and is known for her moving, entertaining and insightful work.

Van Niekerk worked with TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris JHB as creative director between 2018 and 2019 and returns to the agency from Grey SA, where she headed Savanna cider campaigns for the past three years.

“Steph is a powerhouse, and a true pirate. She leads by example and is a natural fit in the collective culture. The agency is excited to have Steph back to play her role in keeping us a globally competitive creative force”, says Peter Khoury, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris CCO. 

“It’s so good being back here. I wasn’t done with the pirate ship, and I’m excited to get stuck into creating world-class award-winning work on iconic SA brands like City Lodge, MTN and Cobra. I’m in awe of the talent here, and so far, it’s been a pleasure working with the team”, says Van Niekerk. 

Having won a plethora of local and international awards, including a number of Gold Cannes Lions, SA’s first Gold One Show Pencil for TV & Cinema, and three Grand Prix awards in two years at the Loeries for Branded Content, Radio, and Outdoor — Van Niekerk is also a regular judge on the awards circuit. 

She does so locally and at One Show and Cannes.

Van Niekerk is serving on the Loeries committee with a focus on nurturing young creative talent to help build a sustainable and diverse advertising industry.

“The industry definitely needs more female leaders as we are naturally inclined to bring empathy to the table. Looking after, nurturing, and supporting young talent is perhaps the most important thing we can do for the industry right now, especially in these rather unsettling times we find ourselves in,” says Van Niekerk. 

This article was paid for by TBWA.