Leo Burnett’s Jay Benjamin lured to chief creative officer role at Saatchi & Saatchi, New York

Jay Benjamin, a former co-ECD at Leo Burnett Sydney and highly awarded creative with 35 Cannes Lions to his name, has been lured from the chief creative officer role at Leo Burnett, New York to the same role at sister Publicis shop Saatchi & Saatchi New York.

New York-born, Benjamin (39) got his first break, with then partner Andy DiLallo, at Bozell New York under David Nobay, who then brought the pair to Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney in 2003. DiLallo is now CCO at Leo Burnett Sydney and Nobay is creative chairman of Droga5 Australia.

Benjamin is known as a new breed of creative leader whose body of work transcends mediums and blurs the lines between advertising, entertainment, art and utility.  Benjamin was most recently chief creative officer at Leo Burnett New York and previously co-ECD of Leo Burnett Sydney, leaving for New York in December 2009. This is a homecoming for Benjamin as he previously spent several years at both Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney – playing a part in three CB Agency of the Year wins – and two NZ Agency of the Year wins for Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland.

Says Saatchi & Saatchi New York’s Aussie-expat CEO Brent Smart: “I really wanted the next big name in creativity and I truly believe that’s Jay. I love that his work pushes the very definition of what advertising is – from an off-Broadway play to Photochains to a marketplace for words on Twitter. Jay’s won Cannes Lions not just in film, but also in content, media, direct. But most of all, he is huge on talent and low on ego, he’s just a great guy.”

Benjamin says his move is both a homecoming and all about potential. “I’ve always loved the Saatchi & Saatchi brand. Great history, great clients, and a belief that Nothing Is Impossible.  That’s never been more true than it is today.  I’m thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Brent and take Saatchi & Saatchi NY to new heights.”

In 2010, Leo Burnett launched an entrepreneurially-driven office in New York built around Benjamin as the agency founder. The agency quickly grew to 40 people making work for Samsung, Chobani, The Village Voice, United Nations and new technology brand Filip. Their work for The Village Voice, ‘New York Writes Itself’, a crowdsourced off-Broadway play won the inaugural Gold Lion for Branded Content at Cannes in 2012 and Best of Show at the One Show Entertainment Awards in 2013. In 2013 the agency was ranked 2nd in the world in Branded Content by Ad Age. As co-ECD of Leo Burnett Sydney, Benjamin won the Cannes Media Grand Prix for Canon “Photochains” and was named 7th most creative agency in the world, according to the Gunn Report.

Benjamin starts at Saatchi New York on 21 April.