Gijs de Kogel started his career as a copywriter at TBWA\Direct Company (currently TBWA\Neboko). 

At the time, the most successful agency of TBWA\ in the Netherlands, specialized in brand activation and integrated advertising campaigns. Gijs worked with different art directors for brands such as Heineken, KLM, Eneco Energie, Telfort, Cup-a-Soup, Absolut Vodka, Unicef and Plan. He left TBWA\ in the midst of 2004 to work for different agencies among which PPGH\JWT (currently VML). At PPGH/JWT he focused on creating tv commercials for brands such as Vodafone, Knorr, Sportlife, BMW, NS, Andrélon and ABN Amro. In 2007 Gijs started freelancing for ad agencies such as TBWA\Neboko, DDB Amsterdam, Etcetera, Ogilvy Amsterdam, Muse, Selmore, Being There, Roorda Reclamebureau and many more. He worked on tv commercials, brand activations, digital marketing content, brand experiences as well as integrated advertising campaigns for a variety of brands.

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In 2009 Gijs made an interesting side-step when he was asked to join ‘Oilily’ as a worldwide marketing & e-commerce director to reposition the brand after its bankruptcy. In a few years’ time he turned the brand upside-down. The ‘flowerpower'-style clothing of the eighties and nineties that had offered a refuge to those who wanted to differentiate themselves from the status quo, was now turned into a fresh, modern-day brand that could compete with elite fashion brands such as Marc Jacobs, Paul Smith and Stella McCartney. The online Oilily store that Gijs and his team launched in 2010 grew into one of the most important sales channels of the brand showing an annual growth of 25-40% each year.

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In 2020 Gijs partnered with two entrepreneurs - Pieter Vonk and Klaas-Jan Kakebeeke - to create a new non-alcoholic gin: Mokum Dusk. After a rocky start, Mokum Dusk gained ground among retailers, cocktailbars and restaurants in 6 European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. Click here to read the whole story.

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Today, Gijs de Kogel works as a freelance copywriter for both ad agencies (DEPT, FHV BBDO, Selmore, Sunshine & Sausages) and brands with ambition (de Hartstichting, HMSHost International, Heddes Bouw & Ontwikkeling, Railtech bv, Sijthoff Media, Cazebonne, Cargawatch). He knows what agencies need from their clients to create outstanding work, but he also understands the stakes of a boardroom marketer. He flourishes in a creative environment with people that dare to take risks to achieve memorable results.