Matt O’Rourke has joined 22squared as chief creative officer, reporting to CEO Richard Ward. O’Rourke is an 18-year advertising veteran who’s worked at creative agencies including McCann, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Wieden+Kennedy. He comes directly from Grey New York where as executive creative director he oversaw creative on the Volvo brand across the agency’s global network.
22squared has dual headquarter offices in Atlanta and Tampa and is an 100% employee-owned independent ad agency. Based in Atlanta, O’Rourke succeeds John Stapleton who looked to dig into and follow his passion for design and innovation at 22squared. The agency created and launched a division in late 2017 branded as The Innovation & Design (I.D.) Group, enabling Stapleton to follow his dream.
Prior to Grey, O’Rourke led creative efforts for multiple brands including Taco Bell, Sprint, Levi’s, Sony, Powerade, Oreo and Nintendo. His most notable work includes the non-traditional “Muscle Music” and “Internetervention” and “Wolfdog” campaigns for Old Spice, the “Oreo Separator,” Burger King’s infamous “Whopper Lust” campaign, and Taco Bell’s “Everlasting Dollars.” Over his career, O’Rourke has been credited in multiple Super Bowl ads and has won over 25 Cannes Lions, along with Clio, Webby and One Show recognition.
“I’ve spent the last 18 years working for all kinds of agencies–from the largest publicly traded network in the world, to the most successful independent shop in the world–and everything in-between, and I’ve never seen anything like 22squared. They have a fierce independence, with the ability to keep control of the company in the hands of the people that work there every day. That combination is really attractive,” commented O’Rourke. “But what made it clear I had to make this move were the people I met during the interview process. The single most important thing I’ve learned in my career is this: you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with, and 22squared is full of brilliant, strong, independent thinkers.”
