NEXT CHAPTER IN CLEMENGER BBDO TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE WITH HIRE OF ADRIÁN FLORES AS NEW CCO

Clemenger BBDO has appointed seasoned global creative director Adrián Flores as Chief Creative Officer, effective May 20, filling the vacuum left after the departure of Jim Curtis last year.

Flores returns to Australia after more than a decade in creative leadership roles internationally, at agencies including Publicis New York and London, FCB New York, Marcel New York, and VaynerMedia.

He joins from New York-based Robot, the brand consultancy arm of The SpringHill Company, a consumer and entertainment group co-founded by basketball legend LeBron James and his business partner Mav Carter. Flores spent three years as Vice President Creative at the marketing and media powerhouse, connecting clients including Google and Fortnite as well as the group’s own entertainment properties like Uninterrupted and The Shop, with customers through culture.

His hire marks the next stage of Clemenger BBDO’s evolution and builds on a string of senior hires made following CEO Dani Bassil’s return to Australia to lead the agency’s transformation in 2023. Her appointment of Simon Wassef as Chief Strategy and Experience Officer broadened the agency’s strategic capabilities to include CX, connections and cultural design strategy. The arrival of Anita Zanesco as Chief Growth Officer responsible for new capabilities and growth, and Anita Deutsch-Burley and Georgie Winton as Managing Partners, added more key pillars to drive the evolution.

Says Clemenger BBDO CEO Dani Bassil: “The CCO appointment means we now have a leadership trio of Aussies – Simon, Adrián and myself – with deep experience across brand, digital and social, as well as global perspectives on the work and industry. We’re doing things differently, better, with more diversity, and challenging the status quo. That’s what these signings are about. We’re not just signaling an intention. We’re delivering on it.

“I have no doubt Adrián’s energy, talent, and modern way of building brands will have a huge impact on our work, clients, culture and agency. I’m ecstatic he’s coming home to join the Clems family.”

The arrival of Flores, born in Mexico City and raised in Toowoomba, Queensland, is not only a milestone in the evolution of the agency, but the industry, she added: “When I left Sydney for the UK 20 years ago, I never dreamt an agency leadership team could be made up of three immigrant kids. Now, here we are.”

From 2008 to 2010 Flores freelanced in Sydney for the likes of DDB Sydney, Publicis Mojo Sydney, Profero, Tribal DDB, Publicis Digital and Moon Communications. He then went on to a two year stint as a senior creative at Publicis Mojo Sydney Working on Virgin Mobile, Toyota, Qantas, CommSec, Citibank, PayPal, Nescafe and Frontline Plus.

In 2012 he departed for London for three years before heading to New York in 2015.

Flores says he is relishing the opportunity to bring his global perspective of creating work at the intersection of brand, entertainment and culture to Clemenger BBDO: “Clems is iconic both at home and abroad for a reason. I’m extremely excited to be part of its next chapter alongside a truly world-class team that’s famous for making famous work.”