Humberto Fernandez has joined FCB Health New York as group creative director. Bringing his consumer advertising talents to the agency’s teams and clients, he will report to FCB Health NY’s chief creative officer Kathleen Nanda.
Fernandez comes to FCB Health New York following 25 years in consumer advertising, during which he’s delivered creative solutions to several brands including Coca-Cola, Bayer, Kit Kat, Budweiser and Mitsubishi Motors. Before joining FCB Health Network’s flagship agency, Fernandez served as executive creative director at São Paulo-based Agência Africa. Previously, he held the same title at J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, followed by his work at the start-up Heads Propaganda, where he was executive creative director and head of art. Fernandez has won numerous major industry awards, including 23 Cannes Lions, 15 Clios, five Effies, five One Show Pencils and four D&AD awards. He was also one of the 20 most awarded executive creative directors in the world in 2016.
“I joined FCB Health New York to do my part to make this a healthier world. 2020 showed us that the pharmaceutical industry plays a pivotal role, and I feel privileged to work for clients and brands that were born with a real purpose,” said Fernandez.
Nanda said, “Humberto is a brilliant creative, whose entrepreneurial spirit and ‘Never Finished’ attitude have taken many epic brands to new heights. We’re eager to see him bring that same level of excellence to FCB Health New York.”
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More