Lavender brings in Brian Dargan to lead strategy and Richard Smith for digital creative director role

Lavender has hired Brian Dargan (left) to head up its digital, 1:1, data and social strategy and has appointed Richard Smith (right) to the role of digital creative director.

Dargan started joined 303Lowe in 2013 as national head of digital and prior to that he was strategy director at The White Agency. Before moving to Australia, Dargan was strategy director at XM (JWT’s digital arm) in Singapore. Back in Europe, Dargan was head of planning at Digitas London and managing partner and planning director of Draftfcb London.

Says Will Lavender, founder, Lavender: “I love Brian’s passion. More, I love that he was an architect before he got into digital; that background means he builds what he dreams. Brian’s exhilarating mind will challenge and extend us. I’m excited for our people and our clients.”

Smith has spent the last three years at M&C Saatchi, most recently heading up the digital design team at MAKE. He joins Lavender on the back of recent successes at IAB and the ADMA/AC&E for the launch of Commonwealth Bank’s cardless cash campaign ‘Where’s my Wallet’. Other highlights include the CommBank ‘You Can Tap’, ‘Three Little Letters’ and ‘CommBank Cricket Club’. Prior to M&C, Smith was at WiTH Collective and BMF where he was awarded for Weight Watchers ‘Approved by Life’ and ALDI ‘Do you have an ALDI brain?’

Smith will report to Marco Eychenne, ECD, across all of Lavender’s key accounts including St.George Bank, Telstra, American Express, NBNCo and Le Coq Sportif.

Says Smith: “I’m proud of the time I had at M&C Saatchi. I joined Lavender because the chance to work directly with Marco and Will was too good an opportunity to pass on. Lavender’s blend of intelligent creative, data and technology are perfectly placed to embrace the new challenges for advertising and innovation ahead.”