Award-winning CD Ben Smith joins Canva in the role of Creative Director, Brand Campaigns

April 14 2025, 12:39 pm | BY Ricki Green | 1 Comment
Award-winning CD Ben Smith joins Canva in the role of Creative Director, Brand Campaigns

Campaign Brief can reveal that creative leader Ben Smith has joined Canva in Sydney, stepping into the role of Creative Director, Brand Campaigns. Smith announced his new role at Canva via LinkedIn this week.

 

With over 15 years’ experience Smith’s career has seen him work in both Australia and the USA, working at a variety of top creative agencies and in-house brand studios. He joins Canva after a recent stint as Creative Director at Afterpay, where he worked within the brand’s internal studio on campaigns, identity development, partnerships, activations and more.

Alongside his time at Afterpay, Smith also freelanced with leading agencies and brands, offering creative leadership across brand platforms, integrated campaigns, and content development.

Before that, Smith was Executive Creative Director at indie agency Nibble Edge, where he led the agency’s creative vision and output across clients, as well as driving new business. Earlier, he co-founded Franky Creative Studio, collaborating with challenger brands and agencies including Who Gives A Crap, News Corp, Foxtel, Upbank, Innocean, and DDB.

His agency background includes leadership roles at Ogilvy Sydney, 72andSunny Sydney and Clemenger BBDO Sydney in addition to senior creative roles overseas—serving as Associate Creative Director at Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Colorado and as Creative Director at R/GA New York. Whilst in New York, Smith taught at Miami Ad School in Brooklyn, where he led portfolio development classes and mentored students on creative briefs, helping guide many toward successful industry careers.

Before his time in the U.S., Smith worked at 303 MullenLowe and spent over three years at Droga5 Sydney, during its initial startup phase, where he won at Cannes and D&AD for his V Australia 4320 campaign and for the Right Music Wrongs work for Virgin Mobile.

 

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