Hi, I’m James.
I'm a creative director in Melbourne. I come from a background in copywriting (all the way from Perth), and my work has featured in award shows around the world. In my first two years as creative director, VML Melbourne was named the #3 hottest creative agency in Australia by Campaign Brief, the agency won the coveted Defence Force Recruiting account, and we had eight campaigns recognised internationally. In 2023, we were crowned #1 Agency of the Year in Australia and APAC by The Work.
My campaign for Alcohol Think Again was named the most powerful alcohol education ad in the world, I’m a member of RMIT University’s Advertising Industry Advisory Council, and I helped relaunch the MADC (Melbourne Advertising Design and Creativity) during COVID lockdowns as co-Vice President.
I taught AWARD School in 2015 and my student won first place in Victoria. He got a gold pencil. I got a pencil sharpener. Cute.
But it’s not all about ads. I also play drums and trombone in Drowning Horse, a doom-metal band. Our aim was to be the loudest band in Australia. I think we came close – the tinnitus says so. We’ve played Perth Concert Hall, headlined Dark Mofo, and won West Australian Music Industry Awards. You can watch a video of us performing on this page.
My solo music project is called FALSE FATE, which combines drone, doom and metal influences. I call it “cinematic synth doom”. My mates reckon it sounds like the soundtrack to Terminator.
I use AI to create social media reels that feature FALSE FATE music, and I’ve also established a YouTube channel of drone music I’ve created with synthesizers designed in Russia and Poland. The channel has grown to 500+ subscribers.
You can listen and watch more on the MUSIC & AI link at the top of this page.
If you'd like to give me a shout, you can reach me at jamesgregorywills@gmail.com