DDB Melbourne CCO Darren Spiller set to depart agency to pursue international opportunites
CB Exclusive – Campaign Brief can reveal that DDB Group Melbourne’s Darren Spiller has decided to step down as chief creative officer, effective November 15, to pursue international creative opportunities.
Spiller joined DDB Melbourne in 2012 as ECD replacing Grant Rutherford and was promoted to CCO in February last year, a move which saw a major creative restructure for the agency.
Prior to joining DDB Melbourne, Spiller held the role of CCO at Fallon USA and before Fallon, was regional creative director role of Publicis Mojo Australia and New Zealand before moving to Minneapolis in June 2009.
Says Andrew Little, CEO, DDB Group Australia: “Darren has done an outstanding job for DDB Melbourne over the past four years and we wish him the very best for this next stage – he is a truly amazing creative talent achieving over 100 awards in this first three years for clients including Devondale, Radiant Returns and RSL to name but a few.
“We are conducting the search for Melbourne’s new CCO and in the interim, Melbourne Creative Directors Glen Dickson and Jim Ritchie will be closely supported by the senior Sydney team led by Ben Welsh.”
Says Dave Brown, managing director, DDB Group Melbourne: “Darren has been my partner in crime and one of the most talented creative leaders I have worked with. We will remember his legacy for many reasons but the highlight will always be the highly entertaining and multi-award winning Devondale campaign that broke category rules and challenged perceptions.
“DDB Melbourne has a very strong senior creative line-up with outstanding creative and innovative work already in the process for 2017.”
Says Spiller on his departure: “I have been talking to Andrew and Dave for the past six months about my personal ambition to work overseas again. I am looking at a number of opportunities including within the DDB network. The past four years have been amazing, working with an outstanding team of creative heroes as well as brave and ambitions clients. This was not an easy decision but the timing is right.”
11 Comments
One of the best ECDs Aus has ever produced.
Consistently brilliant for decades.
Go Daz!
One of the very best I’ve had the pleasure to work with – and a great human.
I had the pleasure of listening to a talk Darren gave at adam&eveDDB in London a few years ago, and he spent a further ten minutes with me discussing Game of Thrones.
Top bloke with fantastic creative vision. Best of luck, Darren.
One of the absolute best. Don’t let him leave Australia, experience and great creative decision making is so hard to find nowadays when our brands just don’t know what they are doing.
Rubba, Coulson, Knoxy, Spiller…
What gives, Melbourne?
How refreshing will be to read a press release about someone’s departure which actually told the truth.
Spin, spin, Spinner.
Melbourne has bye-byed some good talent lately – Coulson, Knox, Spiller, Muntz.
This does give others a chance to step up. There’s plenty of good people in town – but the business not so much. Good luck to Daz!
One of the best Australia has, you cant blame him wanting to test bigger markets again. No matter where he goes he will always come home though.
Best of luck in the future, one of the greatest ive met.
Nice one Daz. Best of luck on your next adventure. You’ll kill it.
ps: don’t go too heavy on the lavender and beef farming at Smeaton Hill – the land is too low quality.
A true creative leader. best of luck.