Full-service digital agency Ueno has hired David Navarro as executive creative director for its NYC office and Elisabeth Boonin as U.S. executive technology director. Boonin will work out of the agency’s San Francisco office.
Navarro comes to Ueno from Stink Studios, NY, where he was creative director for the last year in charge of creative, art and design direction on selected projects and pitches. Clients included Alphabet, Samsung, Spotify, Calvin Klein, Pitchfork, Audible, Starbucks and Wired. As digital creative director/head of design for J. Walter Thompson (JWT) in Amsterdam from 2013 to 2016, he built and managed the digital team and oversaw the work of designers. Navarro was the creative and design lead for clients such as ING, Kit Kat, BMW, Puma, MINI and SPA. His work at JWT won a Grand Prix for Creative Data and a Grand Prix Cyber at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2016.
Boonin comes from a background of building software products and teams from the ground up. Most recently, she was chief technology officer at Vela, a web-based platform that allows Etsy sellers to manage and edit their listings. Before that, she was chief technology officer at Rolltape, a social mobile app for sharing audio messages.
“I’ve wanted to hire David for years, but he’s been smart enough to say no. Until now! His creative vision and passion are an inspiration to anyone that sees his work,” said Ueno CEO Halli Thorleifsson. “I can’t think of anyone better suited to lead the creative team in our NYC office.”
Thorleifsson said of Boonin, “From the first time we met, I knew this was the person I wanted to lead our growing U.S. development teams. I’m very excited to see how she will help our already-amazing developers create even better work.”
Navarro will work on the Chubb, Facebook and Reuters accounts at Ueno, while Boonin will handle Chubb, Google, Uninterrupted and Uber. The agency’s other clients include ESPN, Airbnb, Dropbox, Apple, Visa, Fitbit, Verizon and Cisco.
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