Advertising
Campaign thinking, advertising concepts and public-facing communication
Campaigns, public messaging and communication with cultural impact
Micah Purnell creates advertising for brands, charities, cultural organisations and civic projects, developing ideas that combine strong concepts with clear, immediate communication.
His work spans campaign development, editorial-style advertising, outdoor messaging and socially engaged communication, with a focus on clarity, narrative and memorable visual form. Projects are designed to communicate quickly while retaining depth and meaning beyond the first encounter.
Work includes print and outdoor campaigns, billboard-based messaging, copy-led advertising and awareness campaigns. Depending on the brief, projects may sit within traditional advertising or extend into editorial design, public art and civic communication systems.
He trained on the School of Thought advertising programme, an intensive industry-led course focused on creative strategy and concept development in contemporary advertising practice.
Projects span cultural and commercial contexts, including national campaigns, public installations and socially engaged communication across the UK.
Client: Celebration Day
Supporting Mind, Royal Marsden, Make A Wish UK and Hospice UK.
Celebration Day is 26th May – a National day to remember, celebrate and bring to life the stories of those we’ve loved and lost.
Role: Copy and design
Media: OOH, London, Liverpool and Manchester
Media Partner: Excite
Service: Online Dating
Task: Awareness / Sign Up
Teaser headline copy: Their Memory Lives On
Campaign Copy
1/7 “He always disappeared when it was his round, we’re still raising a glass to him.”
2/7 “Everyone’s scared to say his name – but all I want to do is talk about him.”
3/7 “She would call her bad choices ‘good stories’ – I could tell you a few.”
Client: DePaul, homeless prevention
Role: Copy led advertising and design
Media: Billboard
Task: Awareness Campaign
Product/Service: Night Stop
Typographic, copy lead, digital billboard advertising, Manchester
Headline copy
Almost Homeless young adult saved by your spare room
Sub header copy
Preventing homelessness, one spare room at a time
Sub header was subsequently adopted throughout all media nationally.
Client: Naked Truth UK
Role: Concept, naming and design
Media: Experiential ad campaign, Manchester
Task: Create a conversation of the harmful effects of pornography.
Campaign: Advertise anonymous voting platform highlighting truths about the porn industry.
Naming
How Good Is Porn
www.howgoodisporn.com
Designed to appear as a statement and question, to attract both sides of the conversation.
Gained media recognition in Huffington Post
Client: Christian Connection
Role: Copy and design
Media: OOH, London bus and Tube, Manchester bus and tram
Service: Online Dating
Task: Awareness / Sign Up
Ad Copy:
Seek - and ye shall find.
Love is patient, love is kind (but sometimes hard to find).
In the beginning (Adam and Eve didn’t need a dating app).
Client: Adapt, New York / Cheshire
Role: Concept, copy, design, body copy editing
Style: Editorial, long copy advertising
Media: Press Style print ad for The European Magazine
Product: Adapt Manifesto
Task: Sign Up
Copy: It’s (not) the strongest and most intelligent who survive
Client: Asylum Seeker awareness
Spoof Nike copy lead advertising campaign for asylum seeker awareness
Role: Short story copywriting, design
Media: Poster and table cards
Proposition: Highlight the reasons for asylum
Service: Fundraiser
Ad copy:
Run. I’m out on the open road, chasing the African sunset like there’s no tomorrow. Indian Ocean behind me and the wind on my back. The sky is big as I let it all go.
Run. My family murdered, inter militia fighting, famine, with all my belongings in my pocket. I’ll go anywhere that’ll take me. Run. I don’t wanna go but there’re gun shots at my heels.
Run.
Client: Bible Society
Role: Advertising Copy / Design
Media: London Bus network / YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest adverts.
Task: Watch reflective meditation
Product/Service: See Life Differently
Headline copy:
Find a light space in a hectic place.
Client: Chiaya Art Awards UK
Role: Concept and Branding Design
Task: Promote the UK’s biggest art prize
Media: Magazine & OOH ads
Product: Art Prize, OXO Gallery, Southbank, London
Client: Coin Street Charity, London
Role: Public messaging and design
Media: Digital advertising on
Location: Southbank, London
Headline copy
Stay Safe and get Creative Folks
Client: Stand Up Sisters
Role: Consultation, design, media sourcing
Media: OOH
Task: Anti-violence campaign - Charity, community advertising campaign
Art group anti-violence campaign
Award: Best of Manchester Awards
Media: Guerrilla advertising / Out of Home
Role: Concept, Copy writing and design
Task: Expose faux wisdom / Steal and audience in spoof campaign
Product: Imitation Award Ceremony Posters
Headline copy:
I am flawed, I’m beautiful, I’m terrible, I’m loved
It isn’t giving unless it hurts
Won entry into award ceremony
Published in 10,000 copies of city press Manchester Evening News in attempt to source creator of campaign in order to include in exhibition.
Client: Stand Up Sisters
Media: Out of Home (OOH) community driven charity advertising campaign
Task: To bring Stand Up Sisters community arts projects to the street.
This one is titled Quirky Quilts, made by the good people at St Georges Day Centre in Bolton.
Made with recycled paper to create a patchwork pattern.
Below are a series of Ads created for School of Thought, an intensive 12 week industry advertising initiative covering Print, Radio, PR, Experiential, and TV advertising set by some of the biggest agencies including CheethamBellJWT, LOVE, Magnifi, SLG and McCaan.
Role for all below include Concept and Copy scamps
Proposition: Cleans areas others can’t
Client: Samsung
Product: New more powerful dishwasher
Media: Print
Won entry into School of Thought
Proposition: For people who hate the gym
Client: Virgin Active
Product: Gym Membership
Media: Outdoor
Agency: Julian Gratton
Proposition: The car that is both Safe ‘and’ Cool
Client: Volvo
Product: V40 Worlds safest car
Media: Outdoor
Agency: SLG
Proposition: Helps you run further
Client: Asics
Product: Gel-Nimbus Running shoe
Media: Print
Agency: McCAAN
Proposition: You are being watched
Client: Charity
Issue: Privacy bill awareness campaign
Media: Experiential
Agency SLG
Adopted by Agency
Proposition: Nobody should sleep rough
Client: Shelter
Issue: Rough Sleeping
Media: PR
Agency: SLG
Proposition: Control home if there or not
Client: HIVE Smart Homes
Product: Home automation products
Media: TV Script - Opposites Attract
Writer: Micah Purnell
Agency: Magnafi
Proposition: Get to work (or home) faster
Client: Network Rail
Product: New Faster electric trains
Media: Radio
Voice: Doug Walker
Script: Micah Purnell
Agency: Ex Ogilvy / D&AD Representative
Listen below
Cert 15
Frequently Asked Questions
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I work across print, outdoor, digital, social and environmental advertising, creating campaigns that combine strong ideas with clear visual communication.
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Yes. Many projects begin with concept development, messaging and copywriting before moving into design and production.
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I can support projects from initial concept through to final artwork and production. Where required, I also collaborate with specialist partners to deliver campaigns across multiple formats and channels.
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Yes. I have designed campaigns for billboards, large-format banners, public installations, digital screens and other high-visibility environments.
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Yes. I regularly collaborate with media agencies including JCDecaux, Excite and others for high profile national sites, to Jack Arts and Build Hollywood who handle media planning and placement for street side lifestlye brands, while I focus on creative direction, copywriting and design.
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Absolutely. Campaigns can be adapted across billboards, posters, digital screens, social media, print advertising, brochures and websites to ensure a consistent message.
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Yes. Depending on the project I collaborate with a trusted network of photographers, illustrators, animators, filmmakers and production specialists.
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The most effective campaigns combine a strong idea with clear messaging and memorable visual execution, helping organisations connect with audiences in meaningful and lasting ways.