M&C Saatchi MAKE appoints James Bush to newly-created role of creative technologist

Digital production agency MAKE has appointed digital operator James Bush in the newly-created role of creative technologist.

Bush joins the M&C Saatchi Group from his native UK after more than 13 years as a top-flight and hugely versatile digital exponent.

Starting out as a trained developer, Bush went on to indulge his love of ‘bringing great ideas to life’ in virtually every aspect of the digital sphere, from moving image to production to adland where he has held technical and digital director roles in addition to founding and running his own companies.

For the past year he was technical director of London hotshop Stinkdigital, where his work featured on Nike’s latest campaign ‘My Time Is Now’, RayBan’s ‘All Tomorrow’s Legends’ & CNN ‘Ecosphere’.

Previously Bush worked with the likes of AKQA, W&K, BBH, Mother, Karmarama and TBWA for clients such as ASOS, Adidas, Orange, Dell, Coke, BBC and Diesel.

In January 2005 he founded creative-led digital production company Dead Technical which he ran as digital director for more than five years.

Olivia Hall, M&C Saatchi Group GM of digital services said Bush is the “perfect bridge to span our creative and technology offer.

Says Hall: “James is one of those rare commodities: a true ideas-led thinker with a developer DNA and this is exactly what the role of Creative Technologist calls for.

“We’re demanding consistently world class digital work so it’s not surprising that we eventually found our ideal candidate working across Europe & the US consistently doing just that.

“The danger for creative agencies bringing technical firepower into the creative process is that technology or innovation overtake but for us the idea still has to be king and James is the perfect person to explore the best way to bring brilliant ideas to life.”

Says Bush: “It’s not always about using the technology for the sake of technology. It’s really easy to over-engineer something, to throw technology at it. But the consumer doesn’t care how it’s been built, they just want to access a compelling experience simply and seamlessly.”

MAKE’s developers and designers have recently relocated to sit with M&C Saatchi’s creative teams and Bush is relishing the prospect of such an integrated set up.

Adds Bush: “It is such a fertile environment for great ideas to take hold and thrive.”