MullenLowe U.S. has hired Frank Cartagena as CEO. He will lead the agency of more than 400 people across offices in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. By appointing a former chief creative officer to the highest rank, the agency reinforces its commitment to ideas, creativity, and craft.
“As CCO, Cartagena led multicultural agency The Community to earn top accolades and industry respect,” said Kristen Cavallo, CEO of MullenLowe Global. “His new business track record, creative chops, and galvanizing leadership style make him an appealing choice for CEO and another important change for us as we modernize our leadership structure.”
Cartagena’s appointment adds to recent leadership announcements that include ADCOLOR Beacon award winner Jordan Muse being named president of MullenLowe East, Javier Passerieu being promoted to president of MullenLowe West, and Kelly Fredrickson taking on the new role of chief culture officer.
“More than a job title, this role is about seizing an opportunity to drive a culture of creativity that is much greater than just a department,” Cartagena said. “I’m ready to help shape and define the next chapter of MullenLowe for our people, our clients, and the industry. I love the agency’s challenger DNA and new modern positioning. I look forward to building on their momentum and becoming a place that consistently puts out some of the best work in the world.”
Over his 16-year career, Cartagena has made a mark by creating breakthrough work designed to get real consumers talking. Under his creative leadership, The Community produced this year’s most effective Super Bowl campaign for Netflix and GM. Before that, Cartagena served as executive creative director at 360i, where he led a creative transformation and converted 90% of new business pitches. Some of his greatest hits include the “Doomsday Vault” and “Thins Protection Program” for Oreo, “The Maze” for Westworld and HBO, and the “Four-Year-Old’s Bucket List” for WATERisLIFE.
Cartagena’s appointment as MullenLowe’s U.S. CEO comes on the heels of the agency’s global rebrand, winning Agency of the Year at the Art Directors Club, and a streak of new business wins, including the recompete for the Department of Defense’s $454M JAMRS contract, GEICO social, global investment firm Invesco, and Ghirardelli.
Japan Celebrates Record 18 Emmy Wins For “Shogun”
Japan erupted with joy Monday as the samurai series "Shogun" won a record 18 Emmys for its first season.
It took home prizes including Outstanding Drama Series, as star and co-producer Hiroyuki Sanada became the first Japanese actor to win the Emmy for best lead actor in a dramatic series. Co-star Anna Sawai won best actress in a dramatic series, also a first for Japan.
"You did it. You did it. Congratulations," Takashi Yamazaki, director of " Godzilla Minus One," wrote on social media.
People followed the awards live as the wins made national headlines. Entertainment media Oricon proudly reported that a work whose spoken lines were mostly in the Japanese language "made Emmy history."
"The grand scale of Hollywood combined with the high quality of the production, including costuming, props and mannerisms; the collaboration between the Japanese professional team, headed by producer Sanada, and the local production team; as well as the acting that delivered a strong sense of reality, all came together," the report said.
Actor Kento Kaku, who starred in the 2024 series "Like a Dragon: Yakuza," said he was feeling inspired to pursue Hollywood dreams.
"After seeing how cool that was, who's not going to want to take up the challenge," he wrote on X.
Actress Tomoko Mariya said she broke into tears the moment Sanada's win was announced.
"What hardships you must have endured, choosing to leave your entire career behind in Japan and going to America alone. But it has borne fruit," she wrote, referring to Sanada's move to Los Angeles 20 years ago.
The accolades for "Shogun" reflect not only the growing diversity in American entertainment, but also the legacy of Japan's "jidaigeki" samurai films, which have... Read More