Independent advertising agency INNOCEAN USA has added four new key players to its team of creative talent. Brandon Mugar joins as executive creative director, while Amar Marwaha, Miguel Mayen and Luiz Vicente Simoes come aboard as creative directors across the Genesis business and other projects.
These new additions join three other new hires in the last six months, part of an ongoing expansion of the creative department under chief creative officer Jason Sperling who joined in February 2023.
“When I joined the agency in February, I knew making the kind of results-driven work that is also culture-defining would take a diversity of creative talent, experience and backgrounds,” said Sperling. “By adding these new faces to the amazing creative team that has been on the Genesis brand since day one, we are building a bench of multidisciplinary creative talent that will grow as the agency grows and evolves.”
Coming to INNOCEAN with over 20 years of experience, Mugar brings the simple belief that the voice brands share in the world is just as important as the message they are delivering. Throughout his career, he has helped create that voice with projects such as Climate Name Change and for brands such as New Balance, eBay and Clash of Clans. He was previously at TBWAMedia Arts Lab, serving as the lead creative on two iPhone and iPad launches, a privacy campaign highlighting the integrity of Apple’s privacy and security options, and an AirPods Pro launch. As executive creative director, Brandon will oversee the Genesis account.
As an award-winning copywriter, Marwaha has a simple goal for every project: to use words to tell stories that resonate. With influences from his Indian heritage and Scottish upbringing, he brings his diverse experience to INNOCEAN, beautifully accompanying his copywriting with a Scottish accent. As creative director, Marwaha will also be joining the Genesis creative team. He previously spent time in-house at Google, 180 Global, TBWAMedia Arts Lab and BBC Creative, working on brands such as Apple, Adidas, Google, BBC Music and Android. Most recently, his passion for crafting ideas that connect people on a personal level has resulted in two full-length documentaries: In Memoriam and White Lion.
A self-proclaimed “happy thinker,” Mayen has joined the team at INNOCEAN as creative director. With six Cannes Lions, seven Clios and three D&AD awards under his belt, Mayen has brought his unique creative perspective to many signature brands such as Jack Daniel’s, Hilton, Jeep and Michelob Ultra. Mayen is a constant dreamer and avid believer in the beauty of humanity which has been shown through his creative works bringing light and personality to products and services used globally. Previous to joining the INNOCEAN team, Miguel served as a creative leader for global agencies such as TBWAChiatDay, Phenomenon, FCB Global, 4am Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, MullenLowe Group and Leo Burnett.
Simoes brings a global perspective to INNOCEAN with more than 20 years of creative experience across Brazil, Germany, Dubai and the USA. As creative director, Simoes joins the Genesis team, where he will help guide the luxury brand’s next chapter of creativity. He has 12 Cannes Lions and 26 shortlists under his belt. Prior to joining INNOCEAN, Simoes previously spent time at INNOCEAN’s sister agency, David&Goliath, where he led efforts with established global clients such as Hasbro while helping establish the agency’s social impact arm.
Earlier this year, INNOCEAN USA welcomed Tony Kalathara, Marcella Coad and Martins Zelcs as group creative directors. Since joining, they’ve worked on notable campaigns such as Genesis’ “Luxe is in the Details,” Hyundai TUCSON’s “Safeties Depend on Safety” campaign featuring NFL safeties Troy Palamalu and Brian Dawkins, and launching the #SavetheRainbowFlag AR filter in partnership with the Gilbert Baker Foundation and production company Tool, as an initiative to virtually protest the bans on the Rainbow Pride Flag.
