Two key management changes–one which already has taken hold, the other slated for January–have been announced by BBDO San Francisco. First, Jim Lesser has been promoted from executive creative director to chairman of BBDO S.F. And effective next month Mike McKay joins the agency as executive creative director. McKay comes over from Saatchi & Saatchi LA where he’s been executive creative director since 2008.
Both McKay and Lesser will partner with Brent Smart, managing director, and Nick Bartle, director of behavioral planning, to form BBDO San Francisco’s new executive management team.
At Saatchi, McKay worked on notable campaigns for clients such as Toyota and The Surfrider Foundation. Prior to that, he was a creative director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, from 2000 to 2008. McKay’s diverse portfolio includes work on such blue-chip brands as Apple, Netflix, Sony PlayStation, Comcast, HP, Budweiser, Haagen-Dazs and Nissan. At Goodby he had a creative hand in HP’s “The Computer Is Personal Again” campaign as well as the lauded Comcast “Rabbit” spot.
Lesser is a 19-year veteran of the advertising industry and has been with BBDO for the past 10 years, starting as an associate creative director and rising to his current role. Under his leadership, the creative department has more than tripled in size. He has personally worked on all of the agency’s accounts, even as it has added more than a dozen new clients and assignments and grown significantly in scope. Lesser began his career at the legendary Scali McCabe Sloves in New York.
Florence Adds Director Parker Schmidt To Its Roster
Boutique production company Florence has added Parker Schmidt to its directorial roster, marking his first signing for representation in the U.S. Schmidt found his way into directing from his background as a competitive downhill skateboarder, where his world travels and brand relationships catalyzed a lifelong passion for film. Now behind the camera, Schmidt’s work embodies high-grade art direction, intentional craftsmanship, and lensed moments that capture the human experience.
Following his career in action sports, Schmidt was accepted to MASE Art School in Berlin, after which he began working as an art director for brands like Leica Camera, Nike, and Corona Beer. Once introduced to commercial filmmaking, his directorial style came to life, shooting ads across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.
His body of work includes spots for Lexus, Cadillac, Porsche, Hyundai, REI, CHIMI, Aero Airlines, Apple, Free People, Sharenow, World Sports Games and The Wall Street Journal. Schmidt remains committed to pushing his artistic boundaries as a filmmaker, frequently directing creative shorts like Bowl of Life, Ascension, and the experimental short Requiem. He’s won accolades like Best Sport Film at the Santa Monica International Film Awards and Best Skateboard Film at the Mountain & Adventure Film Festival.
Schmidt said of signing with Florence, “I clicked so quickly with [company founder and EP] Jerad Anderson when we met on a project for Lexus earlier this year. The same goes for [managing director/EP] Ned Brown, who immediately showed a profound interest in getting to know me and what I aspire to achieve. The creative alignment of the stars was set in motion to build trust and... Read More