Engine Group, a global marketing services network, announced the appointment of Aaron Dus to VP of strategy and innovation for Engine West. He will be reporting to Doug Troy, chief operating and financial officer, Engine West.
Based out of the company’s Los Angeles office, Dus will work with Engine’s West Coast agencies, including digitally led creative shop Deep Focus, entertainment and content marketing agency Trailer Park, full-service creative agency Art Machine, as well as the content creation and distribution offering Moment Studio. He will be charged with leading strategic direction and collaborative opportunities for these agencies and their existing clients, including YouTube, Neutrogena and the Los Angeles Rams. In addition, Dus will also work closely with Engine Group East’s chief strategy officer Jonathan Lum to drive integration and synergy across Engine US.
Dus joins Engine Group from Rosetta│Razorfish Global where, as associate partner and VP of strategic planning, he was responsible for leading the agency’s SWAT Team and overseeing strategic initiatives on clients like Samsung, MagicLeap, and Bolthouse Farms.
“Innovation that really makes an impact begins with the right strategy,” said Dus. “Engine is a network that has integration and strategy at its core. I’m excited to be working with such a strong team of leaders, helping to cross-pollinate their ideas and inspire them to think differently for clients.”
Dus has been recognized for his work with a number of awards. Most notably, he received the Gold David Ogilvy Award in the financial services category in 2011 for his work on Ameriprize Financial’s “More Within Reach” platform. Throughout his career he has worked with such brands as eBay, Walmart, MasterCard, and LEGO.
Director Ayse Altinok Joins Good Times For U.S. Commercial Representation
Director and writer Ayse Altinok has joined commercial production company Good Times for U.S. representation. Altinok has directed campaigns for Nike, Horizon Milk, Larabar, Jose Cuervo, Unilever, Mavi Jeans, Boots, Lumene, and more.
A former art director at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam and Portland, she approaches each project with careful consideration, analyzing the end goal as a first step and uncovering meaningful moments along the way. Her work features a cinematic, dreamlike quality and elevated aesthetic.
“Having the right chemistry and karma is very powerful and that’s what attracted me to Good Times, and also timing,” said Altinok. “It’s a place where I can continue to push myself as a filmmaker and try new things, whether it’s for a traditional commercial spot or a high concept art project and everything in between.”
“I’ve worked with Ayse for 20 years and she’s super talented. She’s great at finding gems in stories that would otherwise be overlooked, and her aesthetic is phenomenal,” noted Bernadette Spear, executive producer at Good Times. “She can also empathize with creatives, because she’s lived in that world and understands what our clients face and knows how to support their vision.”
Throughout her career, Altinok’s work has won many industry accolades, including awards from The One Show, Clio, Art Directors Club, AICP, and the ANDYs. In 2016, she was nominated for a D&AD Next Director Award for her short film A Day at the Mall Reminds Me of America, a motion poem. Her first short film, 2009’s Hortum was an official selection of 11 film festivals worldwide and won the Special Jury Prize for Best Drama at the Amsterdam Film Festival.
Outside of her short... Read More