Full-service business agency GALE has hired 18-year Razorfish veteran Patrick Frend as managing director. Frend will be joining GALE’s global management team to help shape the agency’s service offering and grow its global business. Frend will be reporting to GALE’s president and CEO Brad Simms.
“GALE’s connected agency and consultancy offering is a great fit for Pat–a former management consultant and agency veteran with vast expertise across automotive, financial services, CPG, travel, and retail,” said Simms.
Prior to joining GALE, Frend served as president, East Region of Razorfish, managing its New York, Atlanta, and Toronto business. In this role, he handled a $150-million P&L and oversaw more than 600 employees, working with clients including: Mercedes-Benz, Ford Motor Company, UNIQLO, Delta Airlines, Unilever, and Citibank.
“GALE’s seamless integration of business consulting and creative expertise, along with the agency’s long-term vision, inspired me to join the team” said Frend. “Many aspire to adopt that model, but GALE pioneered it three and half years ago and has proven its value out with brands including BMW, BMO, and Genting. GALE is about the same size and age as the organization I joined the last time I made a change 18 years ago; I look forward to looking back on how I’ve contributed to GALE 18 years from now.”
Headquartered in New York with offices in Toronto and Bangalore, GALE brings together the strongest aspects of the agency and consultancy models and supports this through proprietary data and insights platforms including ASK GALE and ALCHEMY. GALE’s clients include: BMW, Bank of Montreal, Allstate, MGM, Hain Celestial, Genting, and David’s Bridal.
Future Craft Launches Under The Aegis of EP Johnny Parker; Shop Forges Alliance With U.K.’s OB42
Executive producer Johnny Parker has launched Future Craft, a content production studio which opens with a directorial roster that includes Brennan Stasiewicz, Henry Mason, We the Grimshaws, Kai Kurve, Sune Sorensen, Tim Hamilton, Jennifer Roberts, Little Village, Marcus Lundin, and Shaunoh Wilson.
Parker had been at the helm of production company Hey Baby which after eight years in business has been reimagined as Future Craft, with an expansion into branded content including long-from, experiential and photography alongside and integrated with advertising campaigns. Central to this evolution is Future Craft’s partnership with OB42, a U.K. production shop headed by the sr. management team of Otis Bell and Clancie Brennan. Via their strategic alliance, Future Craft and OB42 will share talent resources and develop projects for both the U.S. and Europe.
Parker said, “Future Craft was built on creating a home for some of the most talented creatives in the industry. Forthcoming global partnerships will redefine the lines between commercial and entertainment storytelling. I can’t wait to usher Future Craft into the here and now.”
OB42’s managing director Brennan said, “Johnny’s reputation in the industry came highly recommended to Otis and I, and we are thrilled to share the same vision. Future Craft’s roster complements our strategy for pursuing more narrative led advertising while leaning into more emotional and human campaigns that resonate with a wider audience. We have already collaborated on numerous productions and look forward to many more.”
Future Craft’s strategic alliance with OB42 and its parent company 42 fosters cross-pollination between advertising and branded entertainment, with a widened talent pool for... Read More