Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) has named Lisa De Bonis the new CEO of creative consultancy Huge. She succeeds Mat Baxter, who had served in the role since 2021 and led Huge’s structural reorganization, productization model and nascent investments in AI.
De Bonis is being promoted from her role as chief product officer, where she oversaw a key element of Huge’s transformation by leading the development of technological infrastructure and the deployment of a suite of new AI-powered products and tools, such as Huge LIVE and the Creative Capital Index.
Baxter noted that “Lisa is the natural successor to continue the transformation of Huge in light of my decision to relocate back to Australia for family reasons.”
IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky said, “Huge sits at the intersection of technology and creativity, building digital products that drive growth and transformation for marketers. Lisa is a digital-first thinker with deep and global experience in digital marketing, consultancy and creativity, who can build on the company’s positioning as a center for innovation that delivers business results. Mat has been an important part of IPG for over 14 years, leading a range of organizations, people and capabilities with a great strategic brain and a big heart, and we’re thankful for his contributions.”
De Bonis commented, “Huge is purpose-built to help brands solve complex problems through technology and innovation. Our people, our work and our new suite of AI-powered products are driving significant growth for clients and helping them on their business transformation journeys. I am honored to take on this role and look forward to working with the amazing team at Huge to help our clients win in the digital economy.”
Prior to Huge, De Bonis served as managing director at Accenture Interactive, operating in multiple leadership roles across the U.K. and Europe. She drove double-digit growth across communications and technology clients, enabled the integration of key acquisitions and launched a new capability to scale experience-driven engagements.
Since the start of her career in Paris and London, De Bonis has helped create and deliver impactful campaigns for international brands like Orange, Coca-Cola and SABMiller, before co-founding Work Club, which was subsequently acquired by Havas.
Over the last year Huge has launched results-based work for brands including M&M’S, McDonald’s and Google.
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