Matty Burton and Cameron Blackley promoted to creative director roles at Droga5, Sydney

After 18 months playing an integral role in the agency’s rapid rise, Droga5 Sydney has promoted creative group heads Cameron Blackley (far left) and Matty Burton (left) to creative directors.

Since leaving Droga5 New York in April 2008, the duo has played acritical role in helping to establish Droga5’s Sydney office, win newclients and grow the agency’s reputation in Australia. They were alsobehind the success of the 2009 relaunch of Victoria Bitter, Australia’smost popular beer, owned by Foster’s.

Says Droga5 Australiachairman David ‘Nobby’ Nobay: “Creative challenges don’t come muchharder than repositioning an iconic brand with the track record of VB.Matty and Cam were transferred here from Droga5 NY specifically for thetask, and they’ve more than delivered. In addition, they’ve been thereevery step of the way in supporting me and the Partners here indeveloping our business from a fledgling start-up, to a 35-strongagency with clients as broad as VB, V Australia, Crown, Cascade andTelstra. This promotion was well earned.”

Blackley and Burtonplayed a pivotal role in launching ‘The Regulars’ campaign in July2009, which has repositioned VB as ‘The Drinking Beer’, making it thebrand’s most popular advertising in years.  They have also overseen thecreation, and subsequent launch of VB Raw, guiding the beer’s taste,packaging, online presence and rollout.

Soon after the launch of  ‘The Regulars’, Droga5 was awarded two additional brands from Foster’s Group: Cascade and Crown.

DuringBlackley and Burton’s tenure at Droga5 New York, the agency became oneof the most celebrated agencies in the world, voted Agency of the Yearby Creativity magazine in late 2007. They were a driving force behindseveral award-winning campaigns such as ‘Million’ for the New YorkDepartment of Education’ and Internet TV channel Honeyshed.

Theyare both amongst the most awarded creatives in Australia. Blackley haswon a much-coveted D&AD Black Pencil, a Cannes Titanium Lion forDroga5 New York’s celebrated ‘Million’ project, a Lion at Cannes 2009for VB’s ‘Raise A Glass Appeal’, and a Grand Clio. He joined Droga5’sNew York office as Head of Art in October 2006 from Publicis London,where he was Head of Art, having formerly worked at Abbott Mead VickersBBDO (London) and Grey (Melbourne).

Burton’s impressive haulof trophies includes two highly-prized Titanium Lions and a Grand Prixat Cannes, plus one Black Pencil at D&AD, amongst many others. Hejoined Droga5 New York from Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, havinglaunched his career at TBWA, DDB and The Glue Society in Sydney.