Mel Routhier has been promoted from group creative director to executive creative director at DDB Chicago. Routhier and fellow ECD Colin Selikow will both report to DDB Chicago CCO John Maxham. With her elevation to ECD, Routhier will continue overseeing the creative for State Farm, one of the agency’s largest accounts, and driving best-in-class work for DDB Chicago.
Over the past several years, Routhier has been an instrumental creative force behind some of the agency’s most successful efforts. In 2016 she was integral to developing and introducing State Farm’s new tagline, “Here to help life go right,” as the agency went on to defend and consolidate the account in 2015. This was the brand’s first new tagline in nearly 60 years. Last year she took home a Lion at the 2017 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity for her work on “Following,” the film for State Farm’s Neighborhood of Good initiative.
Routhier has called Chicago home for her entire 19-year career in advertising. She has already been recognized as among the top female talent at DDB through her invitation to participate in DDB Worldwide’s Phyllis Project, an agency-wide program committed to encouraging outstanding female creative leaders. Prior to DDB she worked for over a decade at Leo Burnett for some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Kellogg’s, P+G, Disney and the US Army. Routhier’s work has received top honors at the major industry shows, including awards from Cannes, the London International Awards, Clios, Effies, Lürzer’s Archive, Communication Arts, ADDYs, REGGIEs, and the Chicago Advertising Federation.
Regarding Routhier’s new role, Maxham said, “Mel’s appointment to ECD could not be more well deserved. She has consistently proven herself to be indispensable to State Farm and the agency as a creative leader, and I am delighted to further recognize her achievements with this promotion.”
Routher said of her State Farm exploits, “I couldn’t be more excited or humbled to continue to play a role in helping build such an iconic brand. We have a lot of great work ahead of us, and operating in this role will be an exciting new step in my adventures with DDB.”
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More