SAATCHI NZ STOCKS UP ON AUSSIE CREATIVES

Saatchi & Saatchi NZ executive creative director Mike O’Sullivan has announced four new creatives hires for the agency, including Luke Chess (pictured), who joins as a Group Creative Head working with fellow Aussie expat Stephen de Wolf. Chess spent 2007 as creative director at BWM Sydney and the eight years prior were spent at Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney. His awards successes include One Show, ADMA, D&AD, Caxtons, AWARD and Australia’s first ever Cannes Direct Lion and Cannes Radio Lion. In 2006 he added a Cannes Gold in Outdoor to the list.

Chess told CB: “Saatchi’s NZ is the hottest shop in the region right now, and in fact has been for the last couple of years. And Mike O has built a team of folk who are both shit hot creatively and also really good people to work with. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

Another Aussie pair, Robbie Brammall and Ant Hatton, also join the agency, hired from George Patterson Y&R Melbourne, where they have been working for the last 5 months. Prior to that they had four years at Clemenger BBDO Sydney. Their award haul so far includes metal at Cannes, Clios, Caxtons, New York festival and AWARD.

Aaron Dustin joins as creative director – digital. Dustin leaves his own successful Wellington digital agency, Timebased, to lead Saatchi Digital and Direct. His digital creative skills have been recognised both locally and internationally – not least of which by his impressive client list that includes many of the country’s most innovative and successful digital marketers. Dustin replaces Adam Oliveira who is returning to his native Canada next year.

All four will start at the agency on 14 Jan.