180NY has named Mikko Pietilä as its executive creative director and part of the agency’s management team reporting directly to president Evan Weissbrot and managing director Angela Kosniewski.
Pietilä comes directly from TBWAHelsinki where as ECD/partner since 2014 he led the agency to become one of the most internationally awarded shops in Europe. TBWAHelsinki has won consecutive Cannes Lions (2019, 2020, 2021), consecutive One Show awards (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), consecutive Effie’s (from 2016 to 2022), two D&AD Pencils in 2021, and has been lauded as Eurobest’s Country Agency of the Year in 2018, 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the agency was honored as Finnish Agency of the Year in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Under Pietilä’s creative leadership, TBWAHelsinki has more than doubled in size, growing from 70 people to a 170-person creative powerhouse. Pietilä’s recent campaigns of note include the “My Helsinki Airport” which encouraged travelers to personalize the airport’s new main terminal official sign with their own name, and the Burger King “Love Conquers All” initiative which featured the Burger King kissing Ronald McDonald in a salute to Helsinki Pride. During his time TBWAHelsinki also produced the powerful outdoor campaign – celebrating freedom of the press–dominating Trump’s route to the Helsinki summit with Putin created by newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. Pietilä’s career also includes creative leadership roles at Valve, Rehab and Isobar Helsinki, and board of director positions at startups YSUB and Arcelevn.
“Mikko’s rejection of creative conventions and willingness to experiment, innovate, bravely tell brand stories that remain true to what audiences actually care about, and overall vision for modern craft, make him the perfect fit [at 180NY],” stated Weissbrot. “Mikko will significantly enhance our creative firepower while beautifully complementing 180NY’s rich, existing capabilities. Mikko’s presence marks the beginning of a significant creative expansion for 180 where he’ll be rounding out our creative roster to prepare for growth with existing and new clients.”
The current 180NY client roster includes Conagra, Sony Electronics, Slim Jim and DHL.
“I firmly believe a strong internal agency culture–one that harbors and respects individual freedom and collectively embraces ideas and creativity as a whole–is the key to unlocking amazing work while growing brands and companies,” said Pietilä. “I’m more than excited to join the amazing 180 Global family and especially their New York office, known for radical innovation and culturally relevant brand experiences. The shape of the work we deliver is rapidly moving towards experiences and so is the shape of our working environment. Agencies that have global ecosystems and work seamlessly across markets with strong local hubs are the future.”
180NY managing director Kosniewski added, “We are an agency unlike any I’ve seen in my career for many reasons including relentless curiosity, a desire to experiment, and the ability to move incredibly fast to impact culture. Having Mikko, who is such an accomplished creative and innovator, captain a team built to constantly unearth trends allows us to amplify and accelerate our clients’ impact in culture.”
The Many Hires Jeremiah Wassom As Group Creative Director
Independent agency The Many has added Jeremiah Wassom as group creative director.
Wassom most recently worked a decade at Deutsch LA where, as SVP/creative director, he led the Taco Bell account and won new business for the agency. His agency past also includes AKQA and TBWAChiatDay. His creative work has touched the QSR, video games, automotive, fashion, and culture brand sectors. He also served eight years with the United States Marine Corps.
“Throughout his career, Jeremiah has helmed work that has not only made me personally jealous but has consistently pushed brands to show up in memorable and innovative ways,” said Josh Paialii, head of creative at The Many. “One look at his body of work and you will see his passion for storytelling and craft has raised the bar for entire categories, driving participation with many brands’ most loyal fans. Beyond being a world-class creative director and maker, Wassom is a proven team player and strategic thought leader. He’ll be a great addition to the leadership team at The Many working across all accounts. His role will be immediately felt as he guides and supports each of the creative leads in the department.”
A 20-year creative with agency, brand, and freelance experience, Wassom has forged a creative approach which focuses on crafting engaging connections rather than simply make ads. He sees the need for advertising to mean more, not simply do more.
The Many believes that true business growth is made possible by harnessing the power of participation and partners with brands to forge deeper connections with consumers, cultivate trust and loyalty, and maximize marketing spend and execution. The agency is built around a flexible model that offers a suite of capabilities, including... Read More