Chemistry NZ promotes creative duo Sarah Chernishov and Matt Watts to joint ECD roles

Award-winning creative team Sarah Chernishov (right) and Matt Watts (left) have been elevated to joint executive creative directors at New Zealand agency Chemistry.

The creative duo have played a key role in driving the agency’s creative product over the past two years, leading notable new business wins and award-winning campaigns like Aged Care Association’s ‘Domino Effect’.

Last year, they also led the Chemistry team in delivering MTF’s new brand platform ‘We See You because we are you’, along with Hato Hone St John’s ‘Station of Light’, resulting in the charity’s most successful Annual Appeal ever.

The pair are now charged with helping shape Chemistry’s creative offering of tomorrow, which will include an unwavering commitment to bold ideas, a seamless blend of brand and performance marketing and the agency’s growing social reputation.

Says Joseph Silk, director, Chemistry: “It’s an exciting passing of the baton. Our former ECD and founder, Susan Young, is moving with her family to Australia. But the good news is we aren’t losing her completely, as Sue will continue to work remotely with the agency as an experienced senior creative and writer.”

Says Chernishov and Watts: “We couldn’t be more excited to take the creative reins. While the agency has achieved so much over the last 12 years, it also feels like we’re just getting started. We both have an unshakable belief that ideas have the power to change things…so we’ll be looking to deliver unique ones that help deliver game-changing success for our client family and our team.”

Says Mike Larmer, director, Chemistry: “Susan has been a fantastic creative leader for Chemistry, helping Joseph and I build a creative team that any agency can be proud of. The beauty of our culture is that our approach to succession planning means we have fantastically talented humans in Sarah and Matt to help take us to the next level of our growth”.

Adds Silk: “I’m excited about the future. The whole agency has been inspired by Matt and Sarah for so long, it’s very satisfying to see our home grown talent take up the leadership reins. I cannot wait to see what they’ll do this year.”

Chemistry is a full-service, independent agency based in Freeman’s Bay. It combines big agency thinking with a small agency approach to deliver an unfair advantage for clients like AMI and State Insurance, Schick, Pharmaco, Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic, Lee Kum Kee, MTF, Cystic Fibrosis, Wendy’s, Hato Hone St John and more.

Image 2 :-R: Mike Larmer, Sarah Chernishov, Susan Young, Matt Watts, Joseph Silk