Saatchi & Saatchi appoints its top five creative directors to newly formed The Creative Quorum to oversee network’s Asia Pacific creative product
Following today’s announcement of the resignation of regional executive creative director Andy Greenaway, Saatchi & Saatchi has created a new collaborative structure, the Creative Quorum, to direct and oversee its creative leadership throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Chris Foster, chairman and regional chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi Asia Pacific, today announced that the network’s five leading ECDs will collectively take on an expanded role for the agencies’ creative success regionally, as well as specific projects through the region as needed.
Damon Stapleton, (above bottom) executive creative director, Australia; Antonio Navas, executive creative director, New Zealand; Bruce Matchett, executive creative director, Singapore, Malaysia (above right); Andrew Petch, executive creative director, The Philippines (left); and Joel Clement, promoted to executive creative director, Thailand (above left).
Foster says the Creative Quorum will drive new creative thinking and further develop Saatchi & Saatchi’s offering to clients. While the ECDs have always collaborated at a creative level, the Creative Quorum formalizes their individual and collective role to lead Saatchi & Saatchi’s creative success region-wide.
“These guys share a passionate belief in the unreasonable power of creativity and that the best ideas come from collaboration and diversity – within the agency, with our partners, clients, and with consumers,” Foster says.
“Expanding their current remit to oversee all creativity in the region is a natural and logical step forward.”
Since his appointment last year, Foster has actively championed collaboration around the region. CEOs, ECDs and Planning Leaders frequently connect to develop regional strategy, and share new thinking and ideas. He says the “one team, one dream” approach is already delivering significant new ideas, business and client benefits across the regional network.
16 Comments
Since when do advertising CDs like to collaborate in a team?
Andy back to O&M…?
That’s not gonna work I can tell you that now.
Blah blah blah.
Makes it hard to know who to blame when things go wrong. Take it in turns maybe?
Let’s hope they don’t all want to make a thankyou speech on prize night.
A camel is a horse designed by a creative quorum.
I give it three years before all the creative is outsourced to Asia for the price of a Thai wristy. “One team, one dream” also means “one studio, one creative department” for the whole network.
The beginning of the end.
A Hail-Mary that will end in tears.
‘quoraum’ – collective noun for a gathering of CD hacks.
consensus will be/is a problem at S&S
That 500K+ freed up by Andy Greenaway’s salary should be used for some badly needed pay rises for the troops. Alternatively they can do what they always do and hide behind Big Bad Publicis who ‘makes sure their hands are tied’.
That 500K+ freed up by Andy Greenaway’s salary should be used for some badly needed pay rises for the troops. Alternatively they can do what they always do and hide behind Big Bad Publicis who ‘makes sure their hands are tied’.
Putting all this meaningless well trodden ‘ad spin’ to one side (mmm like each of these ECD’s hasn’t got enough to worry about in their own struggling agency!), it’s absolutely astounding that there is not one Asian creative director in their ASIA Pacific Quorum.
Way back in the day when this network was the envy of the industry in this region, there was a great balance of local V expat creative directors – including brilliant talent like Edmund Choe & Jureeporn Thaidumrong. Once more there was REAL collaboration back then too under Davis & Droga. Now it looks like one big expat drinking club to me.
Also, I hear that nearly all of the CEO’s in this region are now also qweilo’s too – even Thailand!!! So exactly what message does this send to the locals? Do they really think we don’t notice – or do they simply not care anyway?
No wonder this once great network is continuing to perform so terribly in this part of the world! They really just don’t get it! One (Gweilo)team. One DREAM all right!
Isn’t lifting the creative standards across the Saatchi network what David was able to do single-handedly, when he was put in charge of creative across Asia by Bob, but now needs a quorum of CD’s to hope to achieve?
Take a look at the award books from that time and then a look at yourselves, lads.
Is Matchett still in the game?
My god, I thought he retired years ago, then again I suppose he is retired!