Stephen de Wolf has been appointed chief creative officer at BBH London. This marks the first time in its 38-year history that BBH has hired from outside the agency to fill its top creative role.
De Wolf joins BBH from Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne, where he was chief creative officer. During his six years there, he helped guide the agency to its worldwide position in 2017 as both D&AD Agency of the Year and Cannes Lions Agency of the Year–the first time any Australian agency has received such an accolade.
His work has been highly lauded around the world for both creativity and effectiveness. Two years ago, he was ranked the number one creative director in the world by the Cannes Lions Global Creative Index. In 2017, de Wolf took home 56 Cannes Lions, including two Grand Prix, for his campaigns on a range of clients including TAC, Mars and Airbnb. His “Meet Graham” road safety campaign for the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) was the most awarded creative campaign in the world that year, and also picked up a prestigious D&AD Black Pencil.
De Wolf was also behind the acclaimed Snickers “Hungerithm” work, which gauged the mood of the internet to adjust the price of Snickers in 7-Eleven stores accordingly, in real time. Other notable highlights include Airbnb’s “Until We All Belong” campaign for equal marriage rights, and Myer’s “Naughty or Nice Bauble” whereby Australia’s largest department store sold magical Christmas decorations which changed from green to red to indicate how naughty or nice people had been.
Prior to Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, de Wolf spent three years as creative director at 18 Feet & Rising, the start up now known as And Rising. He joined a year after the agency was founded, and worked on clients including Nationwide, Virgin Media and Akzo Nobel. Previously he held roles at some of Australasia’s top agencies including JWT Sydney and Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand.
Joakim Borgström, worldwide chief creative officer of BBH, said: “Stephen is a talent of the highest caliber and I’ve been jealously following his ideas for years. If I could, I would love to dive into his brain to see what he is cooking, and how he is cooking it. I can’t wait to see what he brings to BBH London.”
De Wolf described BBH London as “a beacon of creativity,” adding that he was enthused over joining with its “creatively charged and passionate leadership team,” poised “to make some of the best work of our lives.”
Neil Munn, group CEO of BBH, said: “We searched far and wide for a leader with impeccable creative standards, who can also evolve our business. We have found the right person. Stephen brings pedigree, talent and an infectious energy to succeed.”
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More