Virtue, the creative agency born from VICE, has promoted Cameron Farrelly to chief creative officer, North America.
Farrelly joined the agency in 2016 as group creative director, where he began leading the creative team in Virtue’s Brooklyn headquarters. As CCO, North America, Farrelly will continue to oversee all creative output for Virtue Brooklyn as well as its offices in Los Angeles and Canada.
Since joining Virtue, Farrelly has led the creation of numerous notable campaigns, including: Park MGM’s “Las Vegas Love Stories”; Google Chrome’s “Don’t Be A Browser”; Dove Men+Care’s “Dear Future Dads”; lululemon’s “This Is Yoga”; Smirnoff’s “Equalizing Music”; Old Blue Last’s “Beer For Drinking”; and Cazadores’ “Born In Los Altos.”
Farrelly said, “Our clients come to Virtue for a reason. They’re looking for fully immersive ideas they can’t buy elsewhere. Limited edition, comfort zone destroying, purpose-driven thinking that’s made to last a lifetime. From feature films and museums to TV shows and social experiments, the work coming out of Virtue, North America over the next few months is a testament to this mission.”
Ryan Mack, president of Virtue, said of Farrelly, “He has and continues to create a body of work within Virtue that tests the boundaries between advertising and entertainment, culture and marketing. He pushes his team to create the work they WANT to create, while guiding them and trusting in their abilities and talents. There is much more on the horizon and I’m excited for the market to see more of what Cam and our entire team are capable of.”
Prior to Virtue, Farrelly was the executive creative director at Universal Music Group (UMG) where he launched the label’s in-house creative agency across APAC, applying entertainment ethics to advertising briefs, targeting a youth audience, and creating award-winning work for brands including Optus, Red Bull and Levis. Before UMG, Farrelly led creative and production at culture marketing agency PD3 in Shoreditch, East London.
Farrelly’s appointment closes out what has been an expansive year for Virtue. At the top of 2018, Virtue merged with Carrot Creative, the digital shop purchased by VICE in 2013. Since then, the agency has seen significant growth and momentum, garnering 20 new clients in North America including Google Chrome, Bushmills, TAZO, Vega, Marriott Rewards, Weedmaps, Sephora, SKYY Vodka and 20th Century Fox; establishing a leadership team with such players as president Mack, head of business development Krystle Watler, head of production Jill Rothman and head of strategy RG Logan; expanding into the APAC region, opening offices in Singapore, Sydney and Seoul; and launching LA REYNA, a Latin-x focused agency, founded in partnership with film director Robert Rodriguez and El Rey Network.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More