Berlin based writer and storyteller
Whether it’s fiction, commercial work or a speculative group project, I bring my skills as a writer to build a shared language that the community can feel, trust and use.
Often in dialogue with emerging technologies, always with a critical ear to the zietgeist, I help teams identify and enhance the value they bring through words and storytelling.
In a career spanning many years and several borders, I’ve worked with top ranked agencies such as JWT and Wieden+Kennedy, high growth platforms such as Zalando, and large organisations like Deutsche Bank at pivotal moments in their histories. Yet it is the small teams of culture shapers and norm breakers—the people who dare do what most of us only dream of doing—that keep me fresh, on form, and focused.
Turns out I like to be around inspiring people.
Studio visits
I live and work in the beating heart of Kreuzberg, Berlin’s artistic centre, ten minutes walk from Berghain.
I am always open to new collaborations and potential projects, whether they are wild or modest in nature.
Get in touch
Who is Stef Macbeth?
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After a childhood in the southwest of England, I chose Glasgow because it was exciting and cool. There I studied Philosophy and English and was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. Between 2000-2005 I spent a lot of time on sweaty dancefloors. Somehow I graduated with a Masters. In fact I was the first student in two years to receive the Edward Caird Medal, an honour that was completely wasted on me at the time as I had no interest in staying in academia.
Instead I got a job at Sub Club, one of the world’s most revered︎︎︎ underground music venues, working as a sort of in-house writer / promoter / press officer within a tight-knit troupe of creative people including founding members of LuckyMe︎︎︎ and nmbrs︎︎︎. My mentors were Harri and Domenic, Optimo (Espacio), and a melting pot of local and international artists, DJs and friends of the club such as Andrew Weatherall, Honey Dijon and Derrick Carter.
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In 2006, I moved to London, hustling a job at JWT︎︎︎ within a year, where I created campaigns for Rolls-Royce, Visit Ireland, Deutsche Bank, and Starbucks. Around that time I helped make the podcast Global Soundtracks, an ambitious, community-focused and wildly irreverent showcase of underground music from around the world, hosted by Tom Ravenscroft before he got his show on BBC 6 Music.
I joined Story in 2010, a self-styled ‘post-advertising’ agency, with offices in New York and London. My boss was Jon King, the singer of Gang Of Four︎︎︎, who I once watched attack a microwave with a baseball bat on stage at a London club. As one of the senior members of the creative department at Story, I learned how to lead pitches, (re)write briefs, manage teams and make workshops more thrilling. A speculative project I initiated on applications of the hero’s journey was the centrepiece of an Internet Week session hosted by Story and attended by Facebook executives and business leaders from multiple industries. I also co-created what would come to be regarded as a landmark YouTube campaign for a small London charity called The Havens.
In 2012 I co-authored the copywriting syllabus for the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
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In 2013 I quit my semi-sensible job and moved to Berlin. This led to collaborations with Douglas Gordon, Borealis Festival, VICE and a load of startups I can’t really remember. I also wrote a newsletter for some very high end whisky︎︎︎and began work on what would become FOLK.
For several years, starting in 2015, I worked with Zalando. Initially as a freelancer, then employed in their in-house agency, I created numerous brand activations for the likes of Levi’s and Calvin Klein, and contributed to lighthouse projects such as Project Muze︎︎︎, which we did with a team from Google. I also led an award-winning employer brand refresh and towards the end of my tenure joined the HR function, managing a team of 12 employer branding specialists where I established core competencies, processes and best practices.
In 2018 I went back to my roots, as a writer and storyteller, offering freelance creative services ranging from brand strategy to editorial direction and copywriting. Current and recent clients include Beckers Group, SEGRO and Utility Aid︎︎︎.
Alongside commercial work, I write fiction and work on a range of musical and artistic projects. My debut novel FOLK came out in 2025 via Velocity Press︎︎︎.
I live with my partner and our three children.
I am always open to new collaborations and potential projects, whether they are wild or modest in nature.
Get in touch
Who is Stef Macbeth?
ONE
After a childhood in the southwest of England, I chose Glasgow because it was exciting and cool. There I studied Philosophy and English and was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. Between 2000-2005 I spent a lot of time on sweaty dancefloors. Somehow I graduated with a Masters. In fact I was the first student in two years to receive the Edward Caird Medal, an honour that was completely wasted on me at the time as I had no interest in staying in academia.
Instead I got a job at Sub Club, one of the world’s most revered︎︎︎ underground music venues, working as a sort of in-house writer / promoter / press officer within a tight-knit troupe of creative people including founding members of LuckyMe︎︎︎ and nmbrs︎︎︎. My mentors were Harri and Domenic, Optimo (Espacio), and a melting pot of local and international artists, DJs and friends of the club such as Andrew Weatherall, Honey Dijon and Derrick Carter.
TWO
In 2006, I moved to London, hustling a job at JWT︎︎︎ within a year, where I created campaigns for Rolls-Royce, Visit Ireland, Deutsche Bank, and Starbucks. Around that time I helped make the podcast Global Soundtracks, an ambitious, community-focused and wildly irreverent showcase of underground music from around the world, hosted by Tom Ravenscroft before he got his show on BBC 6 Music.
I joined Story in 2010, a self-styled ‘post-advertising’ agency, with offices in New York and London. My boss was Jon King, the singer of Gang Of Four︎︎︎, who I once watched attack a microwave with a baseball bat on stage at a London club. As one of the senior members of the creative department at Story, I learned how to lead pitches, (re)write briefs, manage teams and make workshops more thrilling. A speculative project I initiated on applications of the hero’s journey was the centrepiece of an Internet Week session hosted by Story and attended by Facebook executives and business leaders from multiple industries. I also co-created what would come to be regarded as a landmark YouTube campaign for a small London charity called The Havens.
In 2012 I co-authored the copywriting syllabus for the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
THREE
In 2013 I quit my semi-sensible job and moved to Berlin. This led to collaborations with Douglas Gordon, Borealis Festival, VICE and a load of startups I can’t really remember. I also wrote a newsletter for some very high end whisky︎︎︎and began work on what would become FOLK.
For several years, starting in 2015, I worked with Zalando. Initially as a freelancer, then employed in their in-house agency, I created numerous brand activations for the likes of Levi’s and Calvin Klein, and contributed to lighthouse projects such as Project Muze︎︎︎, which we did with a team from Google. I also led an award-winning employer brand refresh and towards the end of my tenure joined the HR function, managing a team of 12 employer branding specialists where I established core competencies, processes and best practices.
In 2018 I went back to my roots, as a writer and storyteller, offering freelance creative services ranging from brand strategy to editorial direction and copywriting. Current and recent clients include Beckers Group, SEGRO and Utility Aid︎︎︎.
Alongside commercial work, I write fiction and work on a range of musical and artistic projects. My debut novel FOLK came out in 2025 via Velocity Press︎︎︎.
I live with my partner and our three children.