IPG creative company Elephant has promoted Chris May from executive creative director to the newly created position of chief creative officer. May, one of Elephant’s founding members, will be tasked with establishing the creative vision for Elephant, as well as attracting and retaining the best creatives and most diverse talent, both inside and outside of the industry. He will report directly to Elephant CEO Eric Moore.
As CCO, May will oversee creative for Elephant’s founding client, Apple, as well as clients across regions, including Comcast, Electronic Arts, Marc Jacobs, and Realtor.com. The creative department will continue to be structured with ECDs running each region, East and West, with May managing creative across both coasts. He will remain based in San Francisco.
Since joining Elephant in 2016, May has been pivotal in expanding Elephant’s creative offering with Apple, from design focused experiences to campaigns driving usage and adoption of the brand’s various digital services. In addition, May has been instrumental in growing Elephant’s client portfolio with notable wins including Beats by Dre, Kia Motors, Twitch, and Electronic Arts. His impact also extends to initiatives in support of Elephant’s ongoing commitment to change; leading the Elephant XD Academy, a creative boot camp for BIPOC students, and the rebrand of Fulfillment Fund, a Los Angeles-based mission-driven organization making college a reality for students growing up in educationally and economically under-resourced communities.
Prior to Elephant, May held creative leadership roles at Razorfish (Berlin) and AKQA (London and Berlin). Throughout his career, he has delivered cutting-edge solutions for major global brands including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Adidas, Channel 4, Montblanc, MTV and Sainsbury’s. His work has won recognition at Cannes, Epica, Clio, One Show and the FWA.
“I am honored to take on this new challenge as Elephant continues to evolve its positioning as a creative company moving ambitious brands into new worlds,” said May. “While my direct responsibilities are leadership of creative, our philosophy extends to the way we approach the world, independent of any single discipline. I look forward to fostering a diverse team of creative talent, unifying our vision and creating work that makes an impact.”
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More