Tim Newton Joins St John WA as Creative Director

Social enterprise St John WA has appointed Tim Newton as creative director, where he will co-lead the organisation’s creative vision alongside creative director - copy, Tom Birts. The hire is a strategic move to strengthen the brand’s public presence through innovative and emotionally engaging communications.

Tim will work closely with head of brand and marketing Smiljka Dimitrijevic and brand manager Tim Vandenbulcke to bring St John WA’s creative brand vision to life.

He leaves VML to take on the role after 12 years at WPP as a creative lead, including ten at Wunderman Thompson before joining VML. Tim will stay on as AWARD School head for WA. Talking to LBB, he said St John’s strong belief in the power of creativity played a major role in attracting him to the organisation.

“The organisation is fundamentally based on helping people,” Tim said.

“It’s something I value a lot, and something that creativity often doesn’t get space to do in such a direct way. The team and the intent behind it all also made St John WA stand out as a place I want to contribute to.”

Tim is eager to use creativity to elevate the company’s advertising and “establish” the brand.

“[The] role is leading the creative department and bringing a creative lens to how we turn up in the world as an organisation.

“There are so many organisational touchpoints with the public and so many more opportunities outside of regular comms channels to engage creatively.”

The position is Tim’s first client-side role, but St John’s diverse “business blueprint” was a key drawcard.

“It is very rare for a creative role to appear at such a purposeful organisation,” he said.

“It is even rarer for that role to be somewhere that also has a diverse business blueprint to keep the brain guessing. To have those things and a group of people like Smiljka, Tim V, and the team who are actively invested in the power of creativity -- that magic combination made me really stop and think about the potential.

“There was a sense of curiosity about such a different challenge, it’s not what a lot of creatives do, and so it excited me as a prospect to grow in a different way.”

As St John builds its in-house capabilities, Tim noted, “I want to help build a culture where creativity is a shared journey with the wonderful marketers we have in the building.”

“The work we want to be creating is work that makes people feel, makes them care, makes them act,” he said.

“Creativity is the only way to do that, and the passion and dedication that I can already see here show me that this is a space where creativity can thrive.

“There is a growing array of ways for creative people to ply their trade outside of the traditional spaces. I am excited to throw my experience in the rink and show how creativity can thrive in these spaces.

“As more and more young creatives come through wonderful programs like AWARD School, it makes me happy that they may look at things like this and see them as a realistic prospect that keeps their amazing minds doing great things.”