Edelman has added even more senior creative firepower to its Toronto-based global creative hub, with the appointment of Cher Campbell as global executive creative director.
Most recently chief creative officer with John St., Campbell will work out of Toronto with a remit that will include some of the network's largest clients, though the list has yet to be determined, said Edelman's global CCO, Judy John.
Most recently chief creative officer with John St., Campbell will work out of Toronto with a remit that will include some of the network's largest clients, though the list has yet to be determined, said Edelman's global CCO, Judy John.
"Especially on our biggest accounts, we need smart, senior creative leadership that has a vision for brands," she said. "While it's a highly creative role, it's also a more strategic role [that involves] being part of the leadership that can help drive a piece of business, where it goes, and how it shows up in the world."
John was familiar with Campbell through her work with John St., particularly on its much-lauded campaigns for brands like No Name and No Frills, which she described as "smart" and "breakthrough." It's also the type of work that, while developed by a traditional ad agency and backed by a media buy, travels well organically and picks up earned media—an emphasis for creative teams at PR agencies like Edelman.
"I thought Cher would be a great match with the type of work we're doing at Edelman—more non-traditional thinking, [based on] the innovative experiences that consumers can have," said John. "I like a lot of the thinking behind the work, as well as the work itself."
It was nearly three years ago that John set out to make Toronto a global "creative hub" for Edelman, building a team that at the time included executive creative directors Anthony Chelvanathan, Manas Abrol and Krystle Mullin. The latter recently departed Edelman to become chief creative officer at Campbell's former employer, John St.
While Edelman has creative hubs in other markets such as Australia, Spain, and Sweden, Canada remains the largest within the network. Canadians tend to excel in global roles because they are "scrappier," more media agnostic, and have a particular aptitude for out-of-the-box thinking, said John.
"I like that mentality, and it creates that work ethic of trying to find different ways to solve business problems," she said. "I can see it in all of their work.”
Canada has been highly involved in several successful international programs, said John, pointing to the ambitious "#LetHerGrow" initiative for Dove, which saw the Canadian team led by Andrew Simon—who recently assumed the role of global executive creative director—and John collaborate with Edelman APAC's chief creative officer Tim Green and a team in Hong Kong to launch the program fighting Thailand's repressive rules about student hair length.
Another program, the "Hellmann's Mayo McHack," was led by Simon, with support from UK and Sweden. "That's three or four markets coming together," said John. "There are a lot of collaborations across the network."
Asked to assess the capabilities of the team she's assembled in Toronto, John was blunt: "I would put this talent up against anyone, anytime," she said. "The work coming out of the global team is just world-class."
But John also stressed that she will continue to seek out new senior creative talent to add to the team: "We can't let Broken Heart Love Affair have all the great talent," she joked.
