Spiller takes chief creative officer gig at Fallon US
EXCLUSIVE: Darren Spiller, regional creative director of Publicis Mojo is moving to Minneapolis in June as Chief Creative Officer of Fallon US, replacing Al Kelly, who joined Fallon in 2007 from Strawberry Frog Amsterdam.
However, Spiller will continue to have input into Mojo Australia and New Zealand, the agency he has worked at since 1995 when he joined the Auckland office as head of art.
Fallon is also owned by The Publicis Groupe and has offices in London, and Tokyo.
Graeme Wills, regional chairman of Publicis Mojo negotiated for Spiller to retain ties with the agency and clients, however Spiller’s main focus will be Fallon US.
“When they realised I was going to Fallon and it was still in the family it made sense to maintain a relationship,” Spiller told Campaign Brief.
“I’ll liaise with some clients on a monthly basis. There may be a fewteams that work on Australian projects with me overseeing them from theU.S, especially things like Tourism Victoria. An account which is veryclose to my heart and which I have fostered a great client relationshipover many successes and many years. It’s a clever business thing to do,why lose someone completely when you can keep them in the family,everyone benefits – clients, staff, and agency. I thought it was a verymature way to look at it,” says Spiller.
Spiller has been ECD on award winning campaigns for clients includingTourism Victoria’s ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Run Rabbit Run’, Nestle PetersDrumstick campaign and ‘Nike’s ‘Stuff History’.
His remit at Fallon is to grow the business and put Fallon’s creative reputation back on top.
While Fallon enjoys a reputation for groundbreaking creative such asBMW Films, in recent years the London office has been outshining the USheadquarters with work such as Sony ‘Balls’ and Cadbury ‘Gorilla’.
“Fallon has won six new business pitches in the last six months, whichis very encouraging. There’s a feeling of resurgence there, it had afew tough years, but everyone eventually goes through that “
While Spiller has had a number of job offers over the years this is the first he was really interested in.
“I have had a long career with Mojo and it would have to be a good onefor me to move considering how great this job is. Over a few phonecalls and seeing my work they were keen to get me across and it justseemed to fit straightway,” he says.
32 Comments
Well, fuck me.
I really didn’t see that one coming.
Though I don’t envy moving to the midwest, this a great achievement for Aussie talent – knock ’em dead.
It’s a bit like when Jay Leno took over the Tonight Show in America from Johnny Carson. The job is not what it used to be…
Congratulations Daz. The more Aussies overseas in good agencies the better. Hopefully you’ll hire a few Aussies to join you over there.
You have a tough job ahead of you, to say nothing of how you’ll attack the weather!
Good luck, and hope to see some great work coming out of Minneapolis again soon.
S
PS By the way, the blogger who said that Pat Fallon was pushed out by Kevin Roberts has his facts wrong. My mates at Fallon Minneapolis tell me he is still wandering the corridors there.
Good luck. Big job. Great opportunity. Fantastic to see someone who has made it career-wise still willing to take risks.
Congratulations.
Thoroughly deserved.
Have fun Daz.
Let go of Mojo, mate. You have done a great job. But out of due respect to your successors, give them the clear air to run their own show.
Darren’s immanent departure is excellent news. And I bet the creatives in Melb are very relieved to learn that he will still be “overseeing them from the U.S”. I’m guessing the meetings will be held in Minneapolis time.
Good luck Darren. You’ve managed the chaos that’s Mojo better than just about anyone. The worst thing that can happen is it doesn’t work out and you come back home. Not a bad second prize.
“put Fallon’s creative reputation back on top”
Oh dear, the old turn this ship around brief.
imminent…
Funny. No more bitchy comments…
I’m sorry…is it just me or does the idea of Fallon USA’s CCO having CD-type input into Mojo syd and nz sound a bit odd? sure, they share a parent company, but how (and why) would you ask the poor guy to do both??
Mega bucks! that’s why you do both.
funny, on creativity it says he did the Speights work…
What I find amazing in this whole process is that staff at Mojo still haven’t been officially notified by senior management of Darren’s departure.
Speights is a great beer. Can you get it anywhere in Australia, does anyone know?
if the experience of Paul Silburn is anything to go by, good luck.
He might be taking the creative depart with him…
that’s untrue about not notifying staff. it was done before easter.
Why should they know the details?
Yes, but Paul Silburn is a creative genius…
Looks like all the Mojo posts are drying up, so how about one from outside the building?
There are many here that wish Daz all the best, and many that won’t.
Over the years Mojo has had a reputation for removing talented and funny creatives from their stable. This has been an unfortunate legacy as Mojo has made plenty of pretty pictures, but at the same time lacked ads that tickle a funny bone. (Not counting Toyota AFL franchises or beer ads overseen by the old kiwi CD Nick Worthington).
It remains to be seen if Darren can nurture Fallon’s humorous side in his new role.
that’s unture 11.36. it was only done this morning after it was announced on CB blog. Anyway, good luck Darren.
Cake. And eat it. You’ve got to admire Dazza having two jobs.
This guy must have read The Secret at least twice.
Max Gnarly. Beg to differ. Spiller’s reel is full of jokes.
DRINK SPIEGHTS and lose your mates…..
9:34….. “What I find amazing in this whole process is that staff at Mojo still haven’t been officially notified by senior management of Darren’s departure.”
What I find amazing in this whole process is that staff at AdNews and B&T still haven’t picked up this news of Darren’s departure, nearly two days later!. It’s now even on Adweek and Creativity in the US.
what i find amazing is that on adnews and creativity it says he did speights
Gold 3.01!
I wish Darren well in the States. I think his appointment is a great compliment to him and Oz advertising. However, I’m not a fan of any CD/MD leaving and retaining an interest in their previous agency’s client, whether well-intentioned or not. It creates an impossible situation for his replacement and makes finding ‘the’ replacement even more difficult. I’d be surprised if Darren himself would be interested in the Mojo job if the roles were reversed; just as I’m sure the many Mojo people who genuinely wish him well are probably the same ones who wish his leaving was providing them the opportunity they have helped provide him.
so has there been any news? how’s he going?