Clemenger BBDO Melbourne ECD Ant Phillips departs agency after more than two decades

Campaign Brief can reveal that after more than 20 years with Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Executive Creative Director Ant Phillips has departed the agency.

Phillips first joined Clemenger in 2004 as an Art Director and steadily rose through the creative ranks, most recently being promoted to Executive Creative Director in 2024. During his two-decade career at the agency, he has helped shape some of Australia’s most iconic campaigns and built a reputation as a multi-skilled creative leader with a rare mix of art direction, scriptwriting, comedy writing, and brand platform thinking.

Across his time at Clemenger, Phillips’ work has been recognised for both creativity and effectiveness at every major global award show, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, and Effies, spanning a wide range of clients and categories.

He has creatively led some of Clemenger’s most significant client relationships, including Asahi Beverages (Carlton Draught, Carlton Dry, Hard Rated and Great Northern Brewing Co), Asahi Lifestyle Beverages (Schweppes, Solo, Cool Ridge), HCF, Ford, AFL and TAC.

Some highlights have included award winners like Carlton Draught ‘Slow Mo’ and ‘Beer Chase’, Carlton Mid ‘Spending Too Much Time with the Wife’, Bonds ‘The Boys’, NAB’s ‘Mini Legends’, FightMND ‘I’m Neale Daniher’ and the recently released ‘Long Way for a Beer’ for Great Northern Brewing Co.

During his 21 years at the agency, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne was crowned Campaign Brief Agency of the Year seven times.

Two things, Phillips says, kept him at Clemenger for so long: “An insatiable thirst for world-class creative work — and helping lift the people around me.”