Michael Mayes
Writer | Creative Director
A business school grad from McGill University, Michael began his career as an advertising writer 20+ years ago in his hometown of Calgary. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Toronto where he worked at DDB, McCann and TAXI, creating campaigns for brands including Chevy, GMC, Rogers, Mini Cooper, WestJet, The Movie Network, Williams Sonoma, Ontario Wine Council, Tommy Armour, Viagra, Nike and Molson.
In 2005, after years of pining for the West and realizing his ski legs had turned to mush, Michael moved to Vancouver. In 2006, he became Creative Director of TAXI Vancouver, growing the office from zero to 25 people — doing work for Telus, Vancouver Aquarium, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Meinhardt Fine Foods, Crofton House School and other clients. Along the way, Michael’s work has been recognized at Cannes, The One Show, London International Advertising Awards, New York Festivals and has garnered numerous awards within Canada.
Since 2010, Michael has been freelancing for various agencies and clients while writing longer stories during his off-hours. In 2013, he wrote his first children's book, Which Way Back? for BC's Knowledge Network which became the Number 1 Children’s Title on the BC Bestsellers list the following spring. Michael was part of the Writer’s Studio at SFU in 2018/19 and is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada. In 2022, Michael joined Zulu Alpha Kilo as Executive Creative Director in Vancouver.
