DDB’s worldwide chief creative officer Amir Kassaei returns to chair the LIA Integration jury

Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide will lead the newly defined Integration Jury for LIA in 2013.

Kassaei (left) is one of the most lauded creatives in the world. He likes to say “Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion.”

Kassaei firmly believes that if one has passion, will and courage, one can change the world for the better. Of our business, he says, “It has never been just about advertising. Our business is marketing products, companies and relevant services – and one of our vehicles is advertising.”

Born in Iran, raised in Austria, and educated in France, Amir settled in Germany in 1997, gaining experience early in his career in a variety of roles ranging from Account Manager to Strategic Planner to Art Director and Designer at agencies such as TBWA, Barci & Partner and Springer & Jacoby. At Springer & Jacoby, Amir advanced from Copywriter to Creative Director and finally to Executive Creative Director on the global Mercedes-Benz and smart accounts.

In 2003, Kassaei joined DDB as Chief Creative Officer and Associate Partner of DDB Germany, where he quickly helped reshape the agency. After joining the agency as the youngest DDB Chief Creative Officer in Europe, he quickly transformed it into one of the most creative and successful agencies in Germany.

In February 2011, Kassaei was appointed DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer. He has worked on behalf of an impressive range of the world’s major brands, including Allianz, Apple, Adidas, Bosch, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nike, Reebok and Volkswagen.

“What we once called Integrated Campaign, which was defined as creatively communicating a message through multiple media platforms, is now redefined and renamed,” said Barbara Levy, President of LIA. “Amir championed this change and it is appropriate that he steers the judging process at this metamorphic stage. As Amir stated when he chaired in 2012, “Integration is no longer about having the craftsmanship to adapt an idea for different platforms, but about creatively integrating ideas into society on a multi-dimensional level.”

Of his appointment Kassaei said: “The London International Awards prove every year to be one of the most outstanding award shows in the industry; a very professional team and a great jury which produces great results and gives a great outlook of where the industry is heading and where the bar is.”