Mitch Alison
Australia- Biography of Mitch Allison
- Early Life and Education
- Career in Advertising
- Personal Life and Later Career
Biography of Mitch Allison
Mitch Allison is an Australian writer, creative director, and strategist originally from South Africa. He was born on May 9, 1974, in South Africa to a South African family. His father worked as a typesetter and production manager, while his mother owned and managed a tourism agency. While English was spoken at home, Allison also learned to speak Afrikaans and a bit of Zulu. His family's ancestry can be traced back to the first Dutch and English settlers of the 17th century.
Early Life and Education
Most of Mitch Allison's childhood was spent in Johannesburg. He attended Jeppe High School for Boys in Kensington, a suburb of Johannesburg. Later, he pursued studies in copywriting and strategic planning at the AAA School of Advertising, where he graduated in 1994 with a specialization in copywriting. His dissertation focused on the internet and its implications for advertising, although at that time, there were only two internet access points in the entire country.
Career in Advertising
In 1994, Allison landed his first job at the esteemed South African agency, Jupiter Drawing Room, in Johannesburg. This was a tumultuous time in South Africa as apartheid was coming to an end, and the country was preparing for its first democratic elections. Despite the political upheaval, Allison honed his skills as a copywriter and received numerous awards during his three-year stint at the agency.
In 1997, Allison relocated to Cape Town and joined another renowned South African advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather RSTM. After a brief period in Cape Town, he received an offer to become the creative director at D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles. Eager for the opportunity to work in Europe, Allison returned to South Africa and eventually found himself at the legendary international agency, TBWA Hunt Lascaris. Under the leadership of Tony Granger, Allison worked with leading brands in South Africa, including BMW and Nando's. TBWA Hunt Lascaris was ranked 8th in the world according to Ad Age and earned 3rd place at the Cannes Lions advertising festival.
Personal Life and Later Career
In 2000, Mitch Allison represented South Africa at the Cannes Lions Young Creatives competition, where he met and fell in love with Australian Anna Coxhead. Shortly after, he moved to Australia and became a citizen. Allison began his Australian career at BWM Sydney before moving on to George Patts. He later worked as a creative director in various locations worldwide, including Dubai and Nairobi. In 2006, he returned to Sydney and became the creative director of Finlay Preece, where the majority of their work focused on Subaru.
In 2003, Allison embarked on a massive 30,000 km motorcycle journey across Australia, lasting nearly six months. He rode a modified BMW R1100GS and covered all the states except Tasmania. Unlike the famous duo Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman from the documentary miniseries "Long Way Down," Allison completed his adventure without any external assistance.
