Microsoft Advertising today announces the appointment of Duncan Stafford to the newly created position of Creative Lead. The new role underlines Microsoft’s commitment to bringing more co-creation to campaign development, and helping advertisers fully exploit the creative potential and reach of its platforms, which include Windows 8 Ads in Apps.
Based in Microsoft’s London office, Stafford will report directly to James Hayr, Head of Advertising Solutions. He will work alongside a technical specialist and in partnership with advertising agencies to help build innovative, creative brand experiences that flow freely across Microsoft’s broad, integrated product portfolio.
Stafford brings 15 years’ experience creating award-winning, cross-platform advertising solutions in print and digital media. He joins Microsoft Advertising from Dennis Publishing, where he worked as Creative Director, managing all creative output across print and digital for the past two years.
Stafford’s previous roles include Art Director for talkSPORT’s digital magazine and Creative Director at Emap. He began his career in print media advertising, before moving into digital solutions to create ads within apps for tablet and mobile devices. Stafford won five Media Week awards between 2002 and 2005, and an AOP Award last year for best commercial partnership.
The launch of Windows 8
Stafford says: “With exciting developments such as the launch of Windows 8, it’s a great time to be joining the team. Our product portfolio, which also includes Xbox, Bing, MSN, Skype and Outlook.com, is constantly evolving to offer richer, more immersive, and more engaging experiences across all platforms. It is now Microsoft’s turn to make some noise.
“I’m also thrilled to be taking on this newly created role at Microsoft Advertising, which marks a fresh approach for the company: focusing even more on creativity and partnership. Windows 8 in particular is a beautiful canvas for advertisers with great creative potential. I look forward to working with agencies to build some truly ground-breaking campaigns based on this and other Microsoft platforms.”
James Hayr added: “Duncan comes with an award-winning pedigree, and his creative insights will play a key role in ensuring our partners make the best use of Microsoft’s offering. He will help bring agencies’ ideas to life across our portfolio, ensuring we work together to co-create innovative content from an early stage. We’re delighted that he has joined the team, and I look forward to tapping into his impressive skills base during this exciting time for Microsoft.”