After what agency founder and chief creative officer Zak Mroueh describes as more than a year-long and “patient” search for the right person, Zulu Alpha Kilo has named Tim Gordon as its new CCO and partner. Gordon will be leading the agency’s first international office in New York City. The Toronto-based agency opened a Vancouver office earlier this year.
Gordon, a 14-year Droga5 veteran and its former co-CCO, began his career in advertising as one of the first 40 Droga5 NYC employees, starting as a writer back in 2008. Gordon helped grow the agency during its formative years.
During his long tenure at Droga5, Gordon worked on almost everything that came through the door including Coke Zero, The New York Times, American Express Travel, Clearasil, AirWick, Motorola, Harry’s, Under Armour, Chase, Mattress Firm, Paramount+ and Reform Alliance.
Over the years, Gordon’s work has been recognized by every major industry organization. His work for PUMA After Hours Athlete and Vesta garnered a Grand Prix at Cannes and One Show’s inaugural Green Pencil, respectively. Under Armour’s Michael Phelps film earned Gordon his second Grand Prix at Cannes. Gordon was the driving force behind The New York Times’ buzzworthy campaign, “The Truth is Hard,” which placed the Times at the center of the conversation about the importance of a free press with a goal to reaffirm its role in today’s political climate. His efforts led to two more Grand Prix Lions at Cannes as well as The New York Times continuing to break subscription records.
“Tim is one of the world’s top creative minds, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s found his home at Zulu. He’s the absolute real deal with an understanding of how to build great brands and create brilliant work with strategic substance. I am so thrilled and excited to partner with him and build something amazing,” said Mroueh.
As a partner and CCO at Zulu Alpha Kilo, Gordon is tasked with leading the charge of building the New York office from the ground up with the support of Mroueh and president and CEO Mike Sutton. “Over the past six years, there have been dozens of U.S. opportunities we’ve had to turn down because we didn’t have a U.S. office. Problem solved,” added Sutton.
Despite, or maybe because of, not following industry conventions, Zulu has grown steadily since its founding in 2008, having won work from major brands such as Audi, Bell Canada, Coca-Cola, Google, Harley-Davidson, Subaru, and Uber, just to name a few. It straddles the line as a creative agency that specializes in modern 360 branding with design and digital at its core.
Zulu challenged the norms of production by investing early in its own production studio, Zulubot. With a full recording studio, eight editing suites and its own roster of directors and editors, Zulu produces thousands of pieces of content each year, achieving great efficiencies for its clients. This includes everything from documentaries to new digital media. Zulu’s media arm brings together creative and media during the planning process.
Zulu Alpha Kilo has been recognized as one of the top independent agencies in the world. In 2018, Forbes named Zulu as one of the top 100 innovators of the year and as one of the best small companies in North America. While the agency has been award winning ever since it started, this past year has been its best on record. The Epica Awards in Europe named Zulu Independent Agency of the Year. Zulu ranked as one of the top 10 independent agencies at the D&AD and One Show in 2022. Most recently, the agency won six Cannes Lions including Gold for Pfaff Harley-Davidson’s “Tough Turban.” Zulu designed a turban for Sikh motorcyclists made from a fabric that can be folded like traditional Sikh headwear, but which hardens on impact.
“I was really struck by the work, irreverence and founding philosophy of Zulu Alpha Kilo. Zak and I share the same creative values and strong belief that everything should be about the quality of work we put out into the world. I’m excited to help build the agency and achieve the founding vision of becoming the world’s number one creative company,” said Gordon.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More