Chess boards Lavender, Sydney as ECD

In a major coup, Lavender*, Sydney has snared Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand creative director Luke Chess as its new executive creative director, effective February. 

Chess,a highly awarded creative with expertise across a range of disciplines- from DM through to design copy, retail and brand – has been withSaatchi & Saatchi NZ – the No 1 creative agency in Australasia in the last two years according to the CB Creative Rankings  – since January 2008 – and has spent seven years atSaatchi’s Sydney.

Chess told Campaign Brief: “Lavender* offers an exciting mix of brand identity development, advertising, direct marketing and digital, and I’m looking forward to creatively overseeing and further building those areas.

“It’s a great next step for me. They’re a highly capable, energeticagency of 95 and growing. I’m thrilled to be joining them in a new rolewhere I get to deliver truly integrated creative solutions for bothcurrent and future clients.”

Will Lavender, Lavender’s founder, told CB: “We are absolutely thrilled to have secured Luke, given his talent and reputation as our Executive Creative Director. We’ve been searching for the right person for some time and Luke has the proven creative pedigree as well as a great business head. He’s completely aligned with where we’re taking the business. Lavender is now the largest independent agency in Australia and we’re therefore able to attract heavyweights who will partner us to build on our customer first philosophy.

“We’re employing specialist creative talent to suit the agency’s direction. Over the past thirteen years we have evolved from a purely direct agency into one that is now recognised as a new age communications business. As ECD, Luke will lead our re-structured creative department which spans brand identity, advertising, direct and digital.” 

Chess’s trophy cabinet includes awards from all the major creative shows, including Cannes, AWARD, D&AD, One Show and Clios – as well as success at effectiveness awards on both sides of the Tasman.

Prior to his time in Auckland, Chess was creative director at BWM Sydney, where clients included Telstra BigPond, Virgin Money, Diageo brands, GIO, LG and NIB Health Funds.

Before this, he spent seven years at Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney, working on Toyota, Procter & Gamble, Lion Nathan Breweries, Westpac, Foxtel, Emirates airlines and NRMA Insurance, among others.