Testimonials

Mike Dodds – CEO / Proximity.

“Choosing a creative leader for an agency is one of the most important decisions you get to make as a CEO. Fortunately having met all of the potential candidates in the market John agreed to join Proximity as Executive Creative Director in 2013. They always say that great talent can transform the fortunes of an agency and that’s certainly what played out with John. Pitch win followed pitch win. Over 200 international and local awards were amassed, including a Grand Prix at Cannes, 2 IPA Effectiveness awards, a best of show at the DMA and countless other accolades. Then of course there was Campaign’s Customer Engagement Agency of the Year in 2015 (John’s second such award), Best Large Agency to Work For in 2018 and 19, all of which had John’s fingerprints firmly stamped all over them. When I look back on all of this success it comes as no surprise as John is one of those very rare creative leaders who’s an idea’s man, craftsman, great manager and fantastic communicator, all rolled into one. I count myself very lucky to have had the pleasure of being able to call him my creative partner over the last 7 years.”

Stu Royall – Creative Director, BBH.

“I arrived in London in 2003, with a head full of dreams and a book full of average spec work. And after a year of trying and failing to get a job in any agency in town, I was ready to go home again, with both book and dreams torn to pieces. Thank fuck for John Treacy. John spotted what apparently no one else could, and made me and my partner one of his first creative hires at Elvis. Under his guidance, we won countless awards and even more pitches. John was also responsible for fostering the best creative department culture of any place I’ve ever worked. No egos, no divas, no backstabbing. We were all fiercely united in the service of doing great work and getting to the pub. By the time I left Elvis, John had taken a little shop nobody had heard of and turned it into Campaign’s Integrated Agency of the Year, 2009. Any creative department would be lucky to have him at the helm.”

Steve Stretton – Creative Consultant.

“As interim ECD of Proximity, I saw first-hand a department that needed attention. It was fractured, unstructured and largely unhappy. John restructured, recruited and motivated a department that is now the envy of London. The awards have flooded in alongside new business. Which are the only tangible measures of a creative director’s efficacy. Proximity had one of the best.”

Mark Beard SVP – Global Head of Subscriptions Marketing / The Economist.

“John's reactive response to creative briefs has always been first-rate. But where he has really excelled while working on our account is in surprising us with wonderful work that we didn't ask for, proactivity that has enabled The Economist to take maximum commercial advantage of world events while at the same time winning multiple awards for creative excellence.”