Carrasco in, McKenzie out at Publicis Mojo NZ

CB Exclusive – Australian Rebecca Carrasco, who split with her own Sydney agency Colman Rasic Carrasco earlier this year, has joined Publicis Mojo, Auckland as creative director, replacing Steve McKenzie, who CB believes resigned last week.

NZis not totally unfamiliar to he highly awarded Carrasco, who startedher career at Colenso BBDO New Zealand in 2003, employed by then ECDMike O’Sullivan after taking out YoungGun of the Year in 2003. Latershe followed O’Sullivan to Saatchi’s NZ. In 2005 she transferred toSaatchi & Saatchi Sydney, hired by then ECD David Nobay. In 2006she left to set up a PhD on the power of ideas in public communication, and later that year decided to join Lowe Hunt, Sydney, where she met creative director Dejan Rasic. In May 2007 she joined him and Lowe Hunt CEO Ben Colman to form CRC.

“Rebecca is a trans-media thinker whose ideas span digital andtechnology applications as well as traditional channels,” said CraigDavis, Mojo co-chairman and CCO. “She will bring her innate curiosityand entrepreneurial energy to the New Zealand team, and to our clientsaround the region.” 

Carrasco’s international awards tally includes a United Nations Awardand the Asia Pacific Child Rights Award for her MTV Exit Foundationcampaign, which featured anti-trafficking music videos for bands suchas Radiohead and The Killers. Her work has been recognized with goldmedals at Cannes, One Show Entertainment, One Show, Clio, New YorkFestivals and AWARD. She has also been awarded at The Andys, D&AD,and the London Internationals. Locally, her MTV (Welcome Snoop) workachieved Campaign of the Year at the B&T Awards and AWARD, as wellas the AWARD Client of the Year.  In 2008, her own agency was namedAdNews’ Emerging Agency of the Year.

She has been invited to judge Agency of the Year Awards for AdNews,B&T, Australian Creative, and Fairfax Media Marketing. She has beenon juries at The Andys, Clios, New York Festivals, LondonInternationals, YoungGuns, and AWARD. She is on the AWARD ExecutiveCommittee and is co-head of AWARD School. She has addressed TheCaxtons, PADC, and the Youth Marketing Forum. 

Her clients have included MTV, MTV Exit, Barclays, iShares, Cerebos,Premium Beverages, BMW Mini, NZ Telecom, Sky City, Tip Top,Masterfoods, Toyota, Frucor, TVNZ, and TV3. She is undertaking a PhD inideas at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Carrasco comes to Mojo in the second week of June, joining Micah Walker(ECD, Sydney) and former Goodby, Silverstein & Partners CD FranklinTipton (ECD, Melbourne) to complete a creative leadership lineupunrivalled in Australasia. 

“The company is now perfectly positioned to deliver on our vision of afluid, regional offering across geographies and disciplines,” saidPublicis Mojo chairman Graeme Wills. “We welcome Rebecca, who will be integral to Mojo’smission to deliver creative solutions that lead business thinking.” 

Meanwhile, it’s unclear where Steve Mckenzie (left), who joined Mojo in April 2008 as CD, is headed next.

Prior to NZ, Mckenzie, originally from Australia, has been working in the UK and HongKong for the last 18 years with high profile agencies such as APL, StLukes, Mother, Bates, and BMP DDB.

Leaving Saatchi and SaatchiMelbourne in 1990 to seek fame in the UK, Mckenzie went on to work onsome of the world’s largest brands including American Airlines,Emirates, Volkswagen, Sony, B.T., Nokia, British Telecom, and AOL. Soonafter his arrival in London he won major metal for the Mushy Peas andPeperami campaigns at Ammirati Puris Lintas.

Throughout his 20 yearcareer he has received numerous awards including D&AD, Cannes, OneShow and British Television. In 2006, he won gold for best campaign atEurobest.

Most recently working with Dave Alberts as creative director for Grey in London.