Creative, strategy, concepts and copy for brands and agencies that need ideas with brains, bite and impact.
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The useful bit before the mischief begins. I help define the opportunity, sharpen the message and find the creative direction that gives the work somewhere powerful to go.
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Keeping the idea alive from first thought to final output. I guide the look, feel, tone and execution so the work stays sharp, distinctive and properly made.
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Big ideas and messaging with a job to do. From launches to brand campaigns, I create concepts and words that cut through, travel across channels and give people a reason to care.
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A little more speed, a lot more possibility. I use AI to explore, test, build and refine ideas faster — always led by human taste, judgement and originality. With an MIT qualification in Applied AI, I’m able to advise on AI integration.
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For larger brand-side projects, I can also draw on a trusted network of specialists when the brief needs it.
Who I am
Useful Mischief is the independent creative practice of Philippa Heal — a creative director and writer with 20+ years across agencies, entertainment and fintech.
I help brands and agencies find the clear thinking, sharp ideas and crafted words that make work land better. I work hands-on, and bring in trusted specialists when a brief needs more around it.
The useful part is clarity.
The mischief is what makes people notice.
Featured work
A campaign built to make a global phenomenon feel urgent and local. +281% episode views. App trended #1. Loerie Integrated Silver. Promax Integrated Gold.
Game of Thrones
Integrated Campaign
Ideas with evidence behind them
Showmax Pro Launch
Integrated Campaign
A pan-African launch for live sport streaming across SA, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. +62% sign-ups vs benchmark. CPA down 46%. Promax Grand Prix. Ciclope Gold.
A mystery campaign that blurred school-gate gossip, social media and entertainment marketing. Record-breaking viewership. 60M impressions. Loerie Silver. Promax Gold.
The Girl from St Agnes
Integrated Campaign
Investec
Private Bank
A campaign for personalised private banking, built on the idea that humans can’t be reduced to data points. Human insight over algorithms. Silver and Bronze Bookmarks.
Additional experience across fintech, banking, streaming, telco, education, retail and agency partners. Full archive available on request.
Words from clients & colleagues
“Philippa is by a rather wide margin one of the most strategic creative directors I have ever worked with. Philippa is masterful in her craft, strategic in her approach and obsessive about work that delivers against business objectives.”
- Nicola Van Ast: Founder & CMO Growthink
“I appreciate Philippa’s ability to zoom out and see the full picture — how each campaign or piece of content fits into a broader narrative — while also diving into the weeds to guarantee we delivered excellence.”
- Kourtney Simons: CMO Yoco Technologies
“Under Philippa’s guidance, our creative projects were not only groundbreaking but also directly contributed to tangible business successes. She is a strategic thinker with a profound understanding of business dynamics.”
- Karabo Makenna: Creative Director Showmax
Let’s talk
Got a brief, a problem, or the start of an idea? Let’s make something useful — with just enough mischief.
If you’d prefer to email, drop me a message at philippa.heal@gmail.com