Pete Breton and Dave Douglass are leaving their roles as co-chief creative officers at Lowe Roche. It is understood that they will join Anomaly Toronto as its first creative leaders.
The longtime creative partners will be made executive creative directors and partners at the newest Anomaly office.
Sean Ohlenkamp, who until now was Lowe Roche’s vice-president and digital creative director, has been promoted to lead his agency’s creative department.
Lowe Roche CEO Monica Ruffo said she’ll be hiring short-term executive help as the formerly two-person role is adjusted to a single individual. Ruffo did not specify who that interim hire would be, but in an e-mail to staff said “we already have significant interest from some great talent both in Canada and the US and I hope to be able to make an announcement on this front within the next few days.”
Breton and Douglass, who are set to start at Anomaly mid-October, will be immediately tasked with building the Toronto creative team. Anomaly, which is majority owned by MDC Partners, has been looking for creative leadership in Toronto since opening an office there in April. Serving as agency of record for Budweiser, Bud Light and Mini Canada, the agency has been relying on its international network of four offices for executive creative leadership.
“Over the last few months we’ve met with a lot of really talented creative folks,” said Franke Rodriguez, Anomaly Toronto’s president, who worked with global ECD Mike Byrne to find his creative leaders. “Pete and Dave really stood out. They’re crazy talented, innovative, collaborative, all that stuff you’d expect.”
Anomaly is also set to hire several senior strategy and communication executives, but could not confirm names at press time.
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Along with Ohlenkamp’s promotion at Lowe Roche, art director JP Gravina and copywriter Simon Craig were named associate creative directors. Ruffo called the three promoted creatives “significant contributors to the success of Lowe Roche.
“JP and Simon, who embody Lowe Roche’s philosophy of ‘Innovate or Die’ and have been living proof that no account is too small to do outstanding work, are promoted to associate creative directors, and… will oversee creative output on all our client’s business. They are ready, eager and confident to do so.”
Ruffo’s memo to staff also said David Carey, senior vice-president and an account executive, was also leaving the agency, though Marketing could not confirm where. No announcement was made as to his replacement.
