Melissa Nelson has been named to the new position of president, Publicis Seattle, reporting directly to Publicis Worldwide North America CEO Andrew Bruce. Nelson was named EVP and managing partner for the marquee T-Mobile business in December 2015. As president, she will continue to be the most senior lead on the business in the Seattle office.
“Melissa’s leadership on T-Mobile and her passion for their brand and business will be enriched in her new post,” shared Bruce. “Additionally, now her expertise and leadership will extend to all clients and the talented individuals who fuel our agency here in Seattle.”
In addition to T-Mobile, Publicis Seattle handles a range of clients which includes Visit Seattle, KEXP and the Special Olympics.
Immediately prior to joining Publicis Seattle, Nelson led the global Motorola business as group account director at Droga5 in New York. Her pedigree includes helping to build and manage teams creating award-winning work for Target, Chevrolet and HP. Nelson’s career also includes top account management positions at 72andSunny in Los Angeles and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco
Nelson stated, “Diving into and leading the T-Mobile business has been a phenomenal experience. It is an amazing brand, with a really strong POV. T-Mobile is a brand, and business, which is pivotal not only to the Seattle marketplace, but to our agency. I am proud to continue to partner with T-Mobile and additionally, to now lead, grow and expand Publicis in Seattle.”
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