Cheil UK continues to boost its top team with the appointment of Richard Hale as its first digital creative director.
Hale, previously digital creative director at Fallon joins a top-flight senior line-up. Recent senior hirings at Cheil include: head of innovation Daniele Fiandaca, ex-CEO, Profero and co-founder of Creative Social; executive creative director Logan Wilmont, formerly chief idea architect at People, Ideas & Culture, and executive creative director at Kershenbuam and Bond NY; and director of shopper marketing Peter Martin, former MD of Arc.
Hale is Logan’s first significant hire, and will work alongside Fiandaca with a remit to develop innovative thinking and embed digital into the agency’s integrated approach.
Chris Harris, president, Cheil UK, said: “For the past 18 months we’ve been investing in the best talent in the industry in order to offer clients outstanding levels of creativity, planning and strategy, coupled with impeccable delivery to move their businesses forward.
“We’re unavoidably integrated – our expertise spans advertising, experiential, in-store, social, sponsorship and digital. Richard is an ideas generator and a strategic creative thinker. He will play a pivotal role in helping the agency to embrace the new and emerging technologies which are vital to helping clients understand and influence the customer journeys that affect the success of their businesses.”
Hale has won numerous prestigious industry awards including: a Cannes Cyber Lions, Campaign Big Award, Eurobest, Creativity, Revolution and Webby awards.
He said: “Taking up the new digital creative director role at Cheil UK is a brilliant opportunity. Digital and shopper marketing represent an incredibly powerful combination and are fast becoming an integral part of the integrated approach.
“Cheil UK sighted this relationship early on and responded quickly. The agency is in a unique position to understand and influence the customer journeys that affect a brand’s business success, and I look forward to applying my working knowledge to the mix.”
The appointments are part of a global growth strategy by Cheil Worldwide, the Korean network that comprises 49 offices in 27 countries, staffed by 3,000 employees.
Other top level hires since Harris took over in January 2011 include Matt Pye (ex managing partner from Ogilvy) as managing director, Tony Evans as head of planning (ex planning partner from Ogilvy) and Simon Hathaway (former CEO of SaatchiX EMEA) as European president, shopper marketing and retail operations.
It’s an agency on the move.