Kevin Chesters

Kevin Chesters

Creativity is a vital life skill in a crisis

There are four ways for brands to behave in a crisis: be thoughtful, valuable, timely and humble.

Monopoly ad by Kesselskramer

The truth will set you free (and hopefully make you money)

Everyone 'out there' thinks we're a bunch of liars in adland, but recent work for Monopoly gives the lie to that, so why can't more advertisers present the realities of life as a way to get us to relate to what they make and sell?

Kevin Chesters, Strategy Partner, Harbour Collective

A message to the alcohol category: stop banging on about yourself

There were no alcohol campaigns featured in the Warc Creativity Top 10 in 2021, so it's time brands in the sector lightened up and stopped boring everyone rigid.

Image of British Airways jet

How a BA pitch failed to take off

Harbour's Kevin Chesters looks back on an idea that was pretty much perfect in its simplicity, but was met with determined indifference in a rushed and rather irrelevant client meeting.

Head shot of Kevin Chesters

Planners gonna plan (but don't always)

Planners need to treat everything in life with the same rigour they would approach a brief.

Just what are investors being asked to pay for in Engine 'auction'?

The Engine Group 'auction’ left me astonished, somewhat bewildered, slightly frustrated but certainly not surprised.

Our world is waking up to collective action (finally)

A notable response to this unprecedented set of circumstances has been the rise of collective action and the acceleration of collaboration.

Brave ideas win: what I've learned from 10 years at TED

Harbour's Kevin Chesters reflects on a decade of attending TED and shares highlights from this year's conference.

How to choose your first agency home

Going to work at a famous agency isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's the people you work with that will make the biggest difference to your career.

How to change our relationship to time and creativity in a deadline-driven business

This is about time. And it's about time too. Time is something we don't ever seem to have enough of, regardless of what we do or who we do it for.

Top ten inspiring talks of TED2018: An amazing week of amazement

There was inspiration aplenty for marketers and creatives at TED2018. Ogilvy & Mather's strategy chief shares his top takeaways from the annual conference.

What Ogilvy's planners learned after a year of getting out there

After a year sending planners outside the London bubble, Ogilvy's chief strategy officer gathers the lessons they learned along the way.

Five storytelling rules from a vicar, director, sculptress and restaurateur

Ahead of Cannes Lions, Ogilvy & Mather London's strategy chief draws out lessons from a range of people who tell stories for a living.

Why McDonald's bereavement ad got it right

As someone who lost his dad when he was young, Ogilvy's Kevin Chesters believes the ad that McDonald's pulled was brave and socially relevant.

Top ten talks of TED2017: It's going to be OK, folks

O&M London's chief strategy officer shares his takeaways from the TED2017 conference, and explains why there is still cause for optimism.

Why the world still needs TED

With facts, knowledge and expertise now under threat, this gathering of brilliant minds is more valuable than ever, Kevin Chesters writes from Vancouver.

Planning in the wild: How Ogilvy planners are getting out to connect with real people

The shocks of last year suggest we need to connect with real people. So our planners are returning to that oldest of tools: primary research.

The Firm: Life inside an agency gang

Being in your very own posse is a lot of fun - but also great for business, says Ogilvy & Mather's Kevin Chesters.

Halifax is the indisputable leader of the banks, as Top Cat might say

A bank at the top of the likeability rankings? The new Halifax campaign must be doing something right, writes Kevin Chesters, chief strategy officer of Ogilvy & Mather London.

Coca-Cola: Low and no-sugar variants could benefit from a closer association with sexier Red Coke

Coke Zero knows the benefits of hanging around with your cooler, sexier friends

Coca-Cola's decision to bring its sugar free variant more closely in line with the original version could go one of two ways, says Kevin Chesters, chief strategy officer at Ogilvy & Mather - but the smart money says they know what they're doing.