After only a year in the role, Levi Slavin resigns as chief creative officer of Howatson+Co
![After only a year in the role, Levi Slavin resigns as chief creative officer of Howatson+Co](https://asset-cdn.campaignbrief.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/06131107/Levi20Slavin2028129.jpg)
After only 12 months in the role, Levi Slavin has resigned as chief creative officer of Howatson+Co to leave the agency world to join his family start-up Ironclad Co. in New Zealand
Slavin announced his departure on Linkedin:
After 20+ years of working in advertising, I’ve decided to leave the agency world.
I’ve worked with incredible people, made lifelong friends, and lots of ads. Over the last few years, I was fortunate enough to bounce from Colenso to Australia’s greatest start-up Howatson+Co.
While the job was incredible, and our success inarguable, living away from family became too hard.
So, starting this year, I’m going to be joining our family start-up Ironclad Co. full time. Please have a look at what we do. We’re very proud of what we’re making.
To make sure I don’t go mad, I might take the odd freelance project. But only for nice people.
Thank you for having me.
Levi
Says Howatson+Co founder and CEO Chris Howatson: “We’re so grateful for the year we’ve had with Levi. He is brilliantly talented and very, very funny. He has contributed enormously to building the team, the culture and of course the work. I’ve never met anyone who can write like Levi. It’s hard being away from family though so we’re happy for him for the choice he’s made. Iron Clad Pans will be a household name, so everyone watch this space.”
On the role going forward, Howatson says the CCO position will not be replaced: “Instead the agency has brilliant ECD leadership in Gavin Chimes, Richard Shaw and Jeremy Hogg who have all been with the company from its origins and have been fundamental in building our team and culture, deep relationships with clients, and our creative philosophy of intersectional creativity.”
Slavin joined Howatson+CO from Colenso BBDO Auckland in January 2022.
Slavin’s creative reputation has been built over a 21 year career working in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has won over 100 international awards across dozens of brands; including 15 Grand Prix, 35 Cannes Lions, 20 D&AD Pencils, and New Zealand’s first Black Pencil at D&AD. Slavin’s work has featured at TED, ranked #1 on both the iTunes music and podcast charts, and become part of popular culture through song, product innovation, branded series, and film.
When Trump was elected in 2017, Slavin moved from New York to New Zealand to run Colenso BBDO. It was a homecoming, having left Colenso BBDO Auckland in February 2014 to take a global creative director role at Anomaly, New York. In his first year, Colenso BBDO was named the #1 Best and Bravest by Contagious, #6 most awarded in The Big Won Report, #10 in The Gunn Report, and Agency of the Year by Axis and Campaign Brief. Colenso BBDO was named Cannes Agency of the Decade for the region, and CB’s Agency of the Decade for the second time.
Before Colenso, Aussie expat Slavin spent two years as a EVP, group creative director at BBDO New York. His work on The Message — an 8 episode original branded podcast — won two Gold Lions for GE. The following year, the sequel Life.af/ter won a Yellow Pencil at D&AD. Before BBDO, Slavin was global creative director at Anomaly NY working on Google and Diageo.
Slavin joined Colenso BBDO in November, 2009 as deputy CD from Saatchi & Saatchi London, eventually elevated to CD six months later.
Perth-born Slavin, whose first gig was 303 followed by Marketforce Perth, worked at Colenso in 2006, and left a legacy of iconic work like Trumpet ‘Undies’ and the launch of Frank soft drink.
He then moved to Saatchi & Saatchi Auckland followed by two years at Saatchi & Saatchi London, working on campaigns for T-Mobile, Carlsberg, P&G and Cadbury. At Saatchi’s he completed the first global campaign in Guinness’ history, working with director Antoine Bardou-Jacquet.
31 Comments
A true creative weapon and absolute gentleman.
only a few days into 2023 – the industry loses another smart senior creative mind – it’s a shame.
Good on him. When you’ve seen the inner workings and made your way to the top why wouldn’t you back yourself. Guarantee January will come with a few more shuffles as even the indies struggle to keep creative talent in our industry
It’s already started. The multinationals are sinking and having to get rid of the top dogs and the indies are struggling to keep good creatives. Howatson, Special Group, Thinkerbell and The Royals all struggling. Definitely going to be an interesting year.
Of course there are.Nothing new in that.I have been a CD at various levels in quite a few agencies over three decades and there have always been people coming in and out of our industry.
It’s healthy.
Creative people are not surprisingly,curious people.They want to try new things.Some return,some don’t .
The most exciting thing is that there are always bright, new creatives ready and waiting to replace them.
Be positive.
We are all going to be around,hopefully enjoying what is one of the best jobs in the world for some time to come.
Do you blame someone like Slavin to leave? Australia’s sick and disjointed client led market has well and truly f%^&ed itself from behind. If our agencies stopped towing the line out of fear of losing clients we might retain some decent creatives in this country. But its looking like i predicted. Every time a client overreaches with their conservative BS and some suit rolls over again and again and takes it unlubricated this is bound to be the result.
The Gruen Effect™
Never met you mate, but I’ve always admired your sense of humour and delicious, fresh-smelling copy, which I hope you continue to write. Why couldn’t they just let you work from remote? Every leading company in the tech industry is doing that now, I don’t understand why creatives need to be in the orifice at all times and all hours, only to say ‘Morning. Just popping down the café to have a few ideas, back after lunch’.
Says it all when a CCO feels the need to prefix their title with the word ‘Experienced’.
Have a look at the US market. The best creatives are remote and it won’t change. Force people I got the office for disruption, intersectionality, collaboration and you’ll lose the best to do it. Watch start up brands explode and become marketing agencies in their own right (Red Bull, Tesla, Koala) they’ll steal the best people and advertising will take another back step
Or, did you ever think maybe Levi just wants a break from the industry to focus on his family and side business?
I like how some feel the need to invent stories to fit a narrative that makes them feel better about their misery.
Make 2023 the year you focus on positivity people.
…average, but a few, like Levi, are wildly talented. However, his leaving the industry (sort of) shouldn’t scare you all so much. If you’re talented your star will continue to rise wherever you are. If you’re not, you’re probably lucky advertising as an industry exists.
@remote controlled our agency works with 2 of the 3 brands you’ve listed. All 3 companies work with agencies a lot – as well as having strong internal creative abilities.
Congratulations Levi on a wonderful life choice – always good to mix it up a bit.
Dude wants to tap out and work on his cookware business for a bit. Maybe take freelance jobs from time to time.
Funny for an industry who promotes disruption, we are fiercely traditional in the way we operate. As mentioned before, global leaders in tech and advertising are making changes to retain talent, productivity and efficiency. They’re employing tools to foster camaraderie and collaboration online and smashing the benefits. Contrast that with Elon Musk’s return-to-office mandate. I’m all for socialising, it’s a huge part of our industry, but the world has shifted. Sadly we haven’t.
Good on him for backing himself and his start up. I hope it’s a raging success.
I was in your orbit on a project many years ago and your talent, humility and empathy left a lasting impression. I hope the cookware is a roaring success… And that you don’t starve us of your wonderful copy for too long.
An incredible career, enjoy life on the other side 🙂
And leaves the industry completely. Says a lot.
Appointed CCO,no doubt after months of negotiation by H&Co which probably included many flights to and from NZ.Probably given shares and a directorship.Introduced to all senior clients and entrusted to hire creatives and build a department.
Then in under twelve months he goes?
With Howie, it’s dog years. Levi just completed a 7yr stint. He doesn’t need snarky headlines, he needs a hug and cup of tea, and a good sit down.
‘A hug and a cup of tea’
What have we become?
I can only guess at Mr Slavin’s salary package,but i think I would prefer to to provide hugs of support and sustenance to those who are in far more need,by volunteering at one of the many canteens for the homeless in Sydney.
Nothing personal.
But let’s get some perspective folks.
@WTF This is a place to discuss the advertising industry. The person was making a claim that Lev probably needs some downtime. It doesn’t mean an actual literal hug or cup of tea. It also doesn’t need to be mutually exclusive. You can console Levi and on your way home, stop by a shelter and help out some people in another type of need. Just because someone is in a place of privilege, doesn’t mean they can’t have a situation contextual to them. With your approach, you can only console people below a certain salary level. Wake up.
Clearly you haven’t worked with Howie.
Off the CB comments, you’re wasting precious do-gooding time!
Back to the soup kitchen for you.
I don’t know this Howie guy,other than reading about him over the past few years,but he seems to know what he’s doing.CHE was great success and Howatson & Co have been killing it with new business and consistently good work.But obviously a contributor here has an axe to grind with him.Out of curiosity I would love to know why?
Come on spit it out!
I worked with Howie at CHE for some time without any issues.
Guessing you’re an Art Director.
‘Toeing’ the line, not dragging it with a tug boat.
It’s just what happens in Australia, where 80-90% of ad agency revenue doesn’t go towards the people making the ads, including production.
1. Agency hires top talent.
2. Agency wins client because of top talent.
3. Agency pays top talent less than 10% of the agency profit for that job.
4. Agency spends far more on shiny suits and confusing strategists.
5. Shit ads happen.
6. Agency blames top talent for shit ads happening.
7. Agency loses client.
8. Top talent resigns.
Rinse and repeat. Except Levi actually did good work amongst all of that. Well done Levi. Good luck the rest of yas. It’s tough.
Why stay in this industry?
Time to move on my friend.
I started an agency that doesn’t work that way. We’re doing very well, thanks.
Isn’t the whole ‘suits & strategists bad, creatives good’ narrative a little bit simplistic & dated?
Well done you.
So proud,why not tell us what it’s called?