Goodby Silverstein & Partners New York snares award-winning ex-DDB Sydney creative director team Steve Wakelam + Nick Pringle for CD roles

CB Exclusive – Goodby Silverstein & Partners New York has appointed ex-DDB Sydney creative team Steve Wakelam (far left) and Nick Pringle (near left) to creative director roles following the news that the duo had left the agency just under two weeks ago.

This news comes as the agency’s New York office continues to build its leadership team, including the recent addition of head of strategy Tom Morton, who joins Christian Haas and Nancy Reyes on the management team.

Says Wakelam: “When one of the most respected agencies in the world opens a start-up in New York and gives you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor, to help shape and grow the business, you just have to jump at it.”

The highly awarded duo previously led creative on the Volkswagen account at DDB Sydney. Last year their work won a Cannes Gold Press Lion for the Volkswagen “Nightmare Parks” campaign, and under their stewardship VW became the number one advertiser in Australia in 2012. Also during their time at DDB, the pair produced the ever-popular TrackMyMacca’s mobile app for McDonald’s, which allows consumers to know where their food comes from.

Says Haas: “You know a good team when, looking at their portfolio, you wish you had done pretty much all of it. Nick and Steve are incredibly talented creatives but also really nice guys, and that’s something we value a lot.”

Prior to DDB, Wakelam was a creative group head at Publicis Mojo Sydney, where he worked on, among other projects, the globally awarded Boag’s ‘Pure Waters’ spot, which received a Gold Cannes Lion and was considered one of the best campaigns of 2009. He has also worked at BBH and Leo Burnett in London on clients including Levi’s, AEG and Umbro.

Before DDB, Pringle was a creative director at CHI London, where he launched one of the country’s largest companies, British Gas, which now has one of the UK’s most recognized campaigns. He also spent time at Leo Burnett in London, working on Heinz, John West, McDonald’s and P&G.

Says Pringle: “I look forward to surfing the Hudson and sunbathing in my budgies up at Central Park.”

In the last five years, Wakelam and Pringle have won a combined ten Cannes Lions (including four Golds), four D&AD Pencils, two One Show golds, as well as Grand Prix honors at the Spikes and CLIOs. Campaign Brief currently ranks Pringle and Wakelam as the number two and three creatives, respectively, in Australia.