Creative 100: Agency Creative Leaders

The shape of an agency is changing and has been for some time. These leaders set the bar high for the industry and fight for great creativity. In some cases, they are reimagining what an agency could be. Avinash Baliga, Executive creative director, Tombras Building an agency: Avinash Baliga joined Tombras from Maximum Effort, where he worked on campaigns for Mint Mobile, Weight Watchers, Bolt Financial and Aviation American Gin. The first executive creative director for Tombras, Baliga spent the last year building out the New York team’s footprint and creative output. Blurring the lines: His work blurs the line between advertising, news and culture. In the last year, he was behind several culturally relevant campaigns across the agency’s client roster, including deepfaking vegans for Steak-umm, launching the world’s first global campaign targeting aliens for MoonPie, trolling Philly for Zaxby’s, leaning into dating trends with “Situationship Boxes” for Sweethearts Candies, and helping the Special Olympics redefine the word special. Charlene Chandrasekaran and Dan Morris, Executive creative directors, The Or London Challenging tropes: This past year, Charlene Chandrasekaran and Dan Morris oversaw a new platform for male grooming brand Harry’s, with its first TV spot about a man who is fascinated by a colleague’s satsuma mandarin peeling skills. The humorous story contained a subtle message defying toxic masculine tropes. ADWEEK named it one of the best ads of 2023. Climbing the ladder: Chandrasekaran and Morris began their careers together at BBH London before settling in at Droga5 London, where they created the facetious “Crystal Barn” ad for Barclaycard Business, a slow-mo marathon to promote the Baywatch film, and a social media campaign for coffee liqueur brand Kahlúa. The pair settled at Mother offshoot agency The Or at the start of 2023. Advice to creatives: “Don't miss your mum/dad/nan/kid's birthday for anything work-related.” Julianne Fraser, Founder, president and CEO, Dialogue New York New influential: Starting her career at the beginning of the influencer era, Julianne Fraser opened Dialogue New York in 2017. Unlike the early days, Dialogue and its clients are now challenged to stand out in a sea of modern influencer ads that can be inauthentic and cookie-cutter. Fraser implemented the agency’s "Dial In" partnership platform, a tool to save time and money while connecting brands to the right talent for the right campaigns. Creative encouragement: In the latest from Dialogue’s long-standing partnership with Little Spoon, Fraser led the brand’s Lunchers influencer campaign. Born out of Fraser’s encouragement that employees pursue creative endeavors outside their work, the campaign cashed in on nostalgia with ’90s and ’00s celebrities and a range of influencers that displayed how outdated the kids' food category is today. Personal mantra: “One's reputation takes a lifetime to build and a split second to fall. Lead with integrity.” Amanda Goldfine and Luke Anderson, Co-founders, Juxtapose Studio Quick on the uptake: It’s been less than a year since Amanda Goldfine and Luke Anderson founded Juxtapose Studio, and the creative duo has already won business from both blue-chip clients including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dunkin’ and British American Tobacco, and high-growth startups such as Tushy, Kyte and Curio. Beyond advertising, Goldfine and Anderson are developing documentary and narrative projects that tell the stories of marginalized communities, including “Kiss My Grass,” their first documentary that premiered at SXSW and produced with Colin Kaepernick and Rosario Dawson, about the persistent inequity in the weed industry. Left-of-center pitches: Goldfine and Anderson are proudest of the Dick’s ecommerce campaign they worked on this year, which stepped away from earnest, athlete-centric content in favor of high-brow comedy. The innuendo-filled spots starring Will Arnett and Kathryn Hahn did so well that Dick’s invested in a yearlong television media buy. Advice for aspiring creatives: “There are people who want to work with you, and there are people that want something from you. Surround yourself with like-minded collaborators who share your values and give you creative energy.” Susan Golkin, Executive creative director, VML Not slowing down: Susan Golkin cut her teeth in advertising at the same time as David Droga, Jeff Goodby and David Lubars. Yet at 50, when some agency veterans are winding down their careers, Golkin shows no signs of slowing. She is the brains behind some of VML’s most notable work from the last year, such as three Super Bowl ads—including the unhinged “Mayo Cat” for Hellmann’s—the agency’s first campaign for Breyers and “Mended Murals” for Vaseline. She is a creative cornerstone for growing Unilever accounts and helped land Lenovo (for then Wunderman Thompson). Supportive colleagues: Golkin credits the support she feels from VML execs and younger creatives for her success. “It is amazing what you can accomplish when you feel appreciated,” she said. “This drives how I want my teams to feel.” Matt Heath, Chief creative officer and founder, Party Land Humorous approach: In an advertising landscape where purpose fatigue has set in, Matt Heath’s irreverently funny approach to marketing has brought Party Land and its clients success after success. Spanning the comedic spectrum from mischievous to heartwarming to satirical to morbid, Heath has brought campaigns such as Liquid Death’s “Greatest Hates'' album or its “No Brainer” zombie-deflecting headband to life. Funny pays off: However, Heath is more than a funny adman. His advice for clients to “commit to the bit” is a marketing strategy that earns brands their place in the hearts of consumers—and brand loyalty pays dividends. The buzzy “Haha You Just Ate Vegetables” campaign for Wholly Veggie achieved a 25% sales increase in key markets, while the darkly funny “Don’t Die Before You Try It” campaign for Dave’s Hot Chicken achieved a sales increase of up to 14%. Molly Jamison, Executive creative director, Arts & Letters Personal growth: Over the last four years during which Arts & Letters has grown in talent and client roster, Molly Jamison has grown with it, working on everything from ESPN to the NFL and NBA. Now, she spearheads work for accounts including ESPN, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and HubSpot. Bet on me: Since her promotion last year, Jamison has continued leading creative for A&L’s longtime client ESPN. She’s particularly proud of launching the new ESPN BET platform “What a Play.” With a punch of humor, the spots include a female bettor, a growing part of the category. Jamison also continued A&L’s steady brand-building for Tito’s Handmade Vodka with the charming “Spokescart” series for which she created “a magical bar cart that acts like your best friend.” Advice for the next generation: “Just make the thing. Make the deck. Make the comp. Write the script out. Even if it ends up not being right, it’s not a waste of time. You want to be known as the person that does things instead of talking about maybe doing them.” Pierre Janneau-Houllier and Dan Kroeger, Executive creative directors, partners, Alto Emotional storytelling: Work from Pierre Janneau-Houllier and Dan Kroeger is deeply rooted in emotional storytelling. Last year, they worked with Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper to tell the story of Solo, a 7-year-old boy who, with the help of eye-tracking technology, steps outside the limitations of living with cerebral palsy to share his imagination for Montefiore Einstein’s holiday campaign. The result was an epic adventure about Solo traveling through New York on an inflatable dog. The odd couple: An unusual pairing, Janneau-Houllier from France and Kroeger from Chicago, the two have freelanced together for almost a decade, creating notable work for brands such as Beats, Apple, Montefiore and Expedia. Before joining 2023’s ADWEEK U.S. Small Agency of the Year, Alto, they also worked at Ogilvy New York, Wieden+Kennedy, Portland and Amsterdam, and 180 LA, where they first became partners. Advice for aspiring creatives: “Stay inspired. If you’re not, change something until you find it again.” David Krueger, Group creative director, David Madrid Starting from the bottom: Unable to afford advertising school, David Krueger instead called around until he found an agency willing to give him a job and his first brief, where he immediately convinced Cadbury to develop a whole new chocolate. It wasn’t long until he settled into the WPP fold at Ogilvy Johannesburg. For the next 17 years, Krueger worked his way around the network, leading creative teams in South Africa and Germany and earning Ogilvy its first three Radio Grand Prix awards. A creative meritocracy: This past year, he worked on Ikea’s Cannes-winning “Proudly Second Best” campaign, a project that highlighted David Madrid’s culture of collaboration and creative meritocracy. “There is no arrogance or political agenda or feelings of jealousy,” Krueger said. “The work is the most important thing, and we all aim to make that better. So we open the floor to any and every thought to see if we missed something.” Ellie Lloyd, Executive creative director, Glow It’s showtime: Leading a team of more than 30 creatives, Ellie Lloyd is known for developing campaigns for entertainment clients such as Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max, Paramount+, Showtime, NBA, The Roku Channel and Spotify. This year, she led and won the creative team for the Jägermeister global social AOR pitch and positioned Spotify as the go-to place for fans to get closer to their favorite K-pop artists—including directing the first video with the K-pop girl group Twice. The advocate: As a disabled woman with endometriosis, Lloyd is an advocate for change in how the advertising industry views and treats those with disabilities. She is a member of Glow’s DE&I Committee and leads the agency’s pro bono initiatives in 2024. Lloyd also believes in the importance of mental health conversations. “It’s so important to me, as a creative leader, that I not only advocate for my team, but also provide a safe space for them to come to me with any feelings of uncertainty, stress or whatever else life throws at them,” Lloyd said. Marie Claire Maalouf, Chief creative officer EMEA, Edelman Career of impact: Marie Claire Maalouf has a history of using her creative talent as a platform for impactful work. In her previous role of 17 years at Impact BBDO, she led the internationally awarded “Despair No More” campaign for TENA, which gave women in the Middle East a platform to redefine menopause and erase the derogatory Arabic word for menopause that translates to “age of despair.” Campaign for democracy: Working with Lebanon’s largest newspaper, An-Nahar, Maalouf produced the Cannes Grand Prix-winning “The Elections Edition,” a work of political activism that provided paper and ink from an unprinted edition to print ballots for the country’s entire voting population—ending a delaying tactic from the government to stop the election. Advice to aspiring creatives: “The industry is a team sport, so surround yourself with people that you want to learn from, are aspirational to you and get things actually done. Actions speak louder than words.” Bethany Maxfield, Creative director, Humanaut Taking care of people: Bethany Maxfield landed her first job in advertising at Humanaut and has spent the last seven years learning and thriving at the agency. Following Humanaut’s mission of doing work for brands that make things better for people, animals and the planet, Maxfield is driven by her compassion for people and their well-being. In the last year, she showed just how wild eggs could get for Pete and Gerry’s organic eggs, introduced SunButter’s Jammies sandwiches with a bright, kitschy campaign and launched Secret’s whole-body deodorant for odor protection “from your pits to your bits.” Proud moment: But Maxfield was proudest of the Organic Valley “Protecting Where Your Food Comes From” documentary-style campaign that told the story of preserving America’s organic farmland. “The resulting work is something that the Humanaut team cared deeply about since the story it tells is something we’ve been working towards telling for years,” she said. Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce, Writer, director, vice president and executive creative director, Artists Equity Drop the beat: With Artists Equity, Brandon Drew Jordan Pierce wrote and co-directed with Ben Affleck a series of Dunkin’ ads for the Grammys and the Super Bowl this year. In one, Affleck collaborates with rapper Ice Spice to announce the Munchkins Drink. In another, Affleck surprises his wife, Jennifer Lopez, with a Dunkin’ branded rap performance as the DunKings, backed by an exuberant Tom Brady and a hesitant Matt Damon. The song—also written by Pierce—would later be released in its entirety, and the accompanying tracksuits worn by the “band” would sell out. A multi-hyphenate career: Pierce, a.k.a Beedy, is a veteran of Wieden+Kennedy, 72andSunny and Hulu, where he set up an in-house creative studio called Greenhouse. While at Hulu, he created, wrote and directed an anthology series, Your Attention Please, by Craig Robinson, and became part of the writers' room for Inside Amy Schumer Season 5, which won a WGA award. Pierce also established MadeByBeedy studio, collaborating with agencies including Wieden+Kennedy, The Martin Agency and Ogilvy on brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and DoorDash. MadeByBeedy also produced a forthcoming TV series starring plant stylist Hilton Carter. Advice to creatives: “Always be making something. Don’t wait for it to come to you. Find a way and create your destiny.” Cristina Reina, Chief creative officer, Quality Experience A new venture: Cristina Reina has spent 16 years working her way through the creative ranks at BBDO Spain, DDB Madrid, DDB New York and McCann North America, working with top clients such as Smirnoff, Verizon and Microsoft—even bringing home a few Cannes Lions. This year, Reina’s record of creative excellence brought her to Quality Experience, a new indie shop opened by former DDB CCO Ari Weiss. Capturing attention: One of the biggest challenges in the industry is capturing audience attention amid competition from other advertisers and platforms like Netflix and YouTube. While some brands try to counteract consumers’ fatigue with short-term PR spikes, Reina said this approach doesn’t build long-term brand value. “To change things, it’s key to give purpose and value to every touch point, every interaction with the brand, and transform them into experiences capable of capturing the attention, affinity and loyalty of our audience,” she said. Jonathan Santana, Executive creative director, Johannes Leonardo Worldly creative: Jonathan Santana’s 25-year career has taken him around the world—from Johannesburg to Paris to London—and earned him a handful of Cannes Lions. He launched Stella Artois’ first global campaign for Mother and helped TBWA\Paris earn Cannes Agency of the Year four years running. Now settled in New York at Johannes Leonardo, Santana creatively led the agency through Volkswagen’s Super Bowl commercial, the emotional “An American Love Story,” to reignite enthusiasm for the brand in the U.S. Creating buzz: He also led the out-of-home campaign that introduced ID Buzz, VW’s electric iteration of its iconic Type 2 microbus, to America. Ads across the country brought the bus’ signature two-tone paint job to life with playful headlines to compete in a market where nearly 80% of all vehicles are white, silver or black. “It was so iconic, our ads were instantly identifiable even without words,” Santana said. Advice to new creatives: “Be a sponge. Creativity thrives off connections derived from a bank of knowledge and inspiration found where others don't bother to look.” Sam Shepherd, Chief creative officer, Uncommon Creative Studio NY Creative pedigree: Sam Shepherd has made his way through creative powerhouse agencies of the last 10 years: Mother New York, DDB New York, Deutsch and Leo Burnett Chicago, working on household names from Coke and Oreo to HBO, Kellogg’s and Tide. Now he’s at hot shop Uncommon Creative Studio, which opened a New York office last year after Havas acquired a majority stake in the agency. Building for the real world: With Uncommon, Shepherd is building “things that we wish existed in the real world,” he said. For example, he led SiriusXM through a new brand platform and identity and launched the “Closer” ad, with lauded director Kim Gehrig, to showcase how the audio entertainment service brings listeners closer to what moves them throughout their lives. Advice to aspiring creatives: “No matter what you hear, always look for the trouble. That's where the magic is. There are no rules.” Ansley Williams, Head of influence, NA, Ogilvy Social media maven: Ansley Williams has ridden the wave of influencer marketing from its humble beginnings as a niche tool to its acceptance as a cornerstone of modern brand strategy. In the nine years since her career began, she’s showcased her chops as a strategic, creative mind with an exhaustive knowledge of social media culture. Guerrilla marketing: Earlier this year, she led CeraVe’s Super Bowl campaign, “Michael CeraVe,” building on an old Reddit thread speculating that actor Michael Cera was behind the skin care brand CeraVe. “Influencers were not just participants but central drivers of our narrative, playing a critical role in sparking speculation that Michael Cera could be the founder of CeraVe,” said Williams. What followed was a guerrilla-style, social media-led campaign that began with viral pictures of Cera handing out bottles of CeraVe in his Brooklyn neighborhood and ended in a Super Bowl spot. Azsa West, Chief creative officer, Wieden+Kennedy Portland Finding a way: Azsa West has always followed their own path. After dropping out of college three times, they applied for Wieden+Kennedy's experimental school, WK12, and never looked back. “Learning from real clients and projects with higher stakes paid off compared to hypothetical situations,” West said. While West has worked at several agencies in their nearly 20 years in advertising, they always find their way back to Wieden+Kennedy. Creative heaven: In their first year as chief creative officer, they helped win the DoorDash account, then led the team to the Super Bowl with the ambitious “DoorDash-all-the-ads” sweepstakes, which had watchers crowdsourcing the 1,813 character promo code to win all the products shown in ads during the game. They also worked on the recent "Skims Lab" campaign, with West calling the experience “creative heaven.” Don’t just make ads: Outside of the day job, West is a filmmaker, artist and ceramicist. Their advice to other creatives is to “make as many things as you can. Don’t just rely on your advertising opportunities. I’ve hired many people purely on their personal work because they were able to demonstrate something that cannot be taught: having a point of view and their own style.” Matthew Woodhams-Roberts and Dave Horton, Co-chief creative officers and partners, Special US Perfect match: Within hours of first meeting, Matthew Woodhams-Roberts and Dave Horton had already developed eight scripts for Adidas. Their partnership in the decade since has produced disruptive work for brands such as Sony, Mitsubishi, Snickers, Netflix and Expedia. An ego-free voice: They’ve worked with more than 40 celebrities, but their ego-free creative approach always puts a brand’s voice first while simultaneously developing work that resonates culturally—from reuniting SNL’s Wayne and Garth and introducing them to Cardi B for Uber Eats to pairing up Lil Nas X and Elton John. The duo’s track record continued last year in the viral Super Bowl ad for Uber eats that featured Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and the Beckhams. The ad ranked fourth on the USA Today ad meter. Their mantra: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish. When in doubt, steal from Steve Jobs.” David Suarez and Danny Gonzalez, Co-chief creative officers and founders, Bandits & Friends Stealing attention: Less than a year has passed since David Suarez and Danny Gonzalez founded Bandits & Friends on two basic principles: First, attention can’t be bought; it has to be stolen. And second, clients deserve the trust and respect of a friend. Already, the duo has grown the agency to 30 creatives and produced attention-stealing work such as The Athletic’s “Losing Is for Losers” campaign and Show-Me Organics’ “Ask Your Doctor” campaign that took on the pharmaceutical industry. A history of success: Suarez and Gonzalez got their start interning together in college before landing their first gig at JWT NY. Their tenure in advertising brought them to TBWA NY and Barton F. Graf 9000 before they spent nearly a decade at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, creatively running accounts such as Xfinity, StubHub, Credit Karma and Liberty Mutual Insurance, where they created the LiMu Emu and Doug insurance duo. Their mantra: “It doesn’t matter what you have to say if you can’t get people to listen.” Check out Adweek’s full Creative 100 list for 2024 here.

The Creative 100

Creative 100: Agency Leaders Who Fight for Great Creativity

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Avinash Baliga, Executive creative director, Tombras

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Avinash Baliga, Executive creative director, Tombras

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Aleda Stam