Colenso BBDO promotes Worthington to creative chairman; Cochran elevated to executive CD role

Colenso BBDO, Auckland executive creative director Nick Worthington has been promoted into the new role of creative chairman, with a view to extending the agency’s integrated offering and positioning it for future growth.

As a result long-standing creative director, Steve Cochran (above right), has been promoted to the position of Executive Creative Director and is well equipped for the task, having worked on much of Colenso BBDO’s award-winning work over the past 13 years.

As creative chairman, Worthington (above left) will have broad oversight of the agency business, while continuing to provide creative leadership on major projects and initiatives.

“It’s great to see Nick stepping into this role and taking on a new level of leadership within Colenso BBDO. Transferring his wealth of experience and creative brilliance into this new position will add further value to our clients, who are looking for an integrated approach,” says Clemenger Group CEO, Jim Moser.

With more than 25 years industry experience, Worthington has helped Colenso BBDO create some of the world’s most highly-regarded integrated marketing campaigns, including the Yellow Treehouse/Chocolate and Frucor V energy drink campaigns.

Under Nick Worthington’s creative leadership, the agency has also won multiple international awards and was recognised as the Campaign Brief Agency of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and Agency of the Decade in 2010. Colenso BBDO was also named as the YoungGuns International Agency of the Decade.

“Steve was the obvious choice to fill the role of executive creative director. He has done a stellar job as Creative Director and has a broad range of experience across some of New Zealand’s most successful brands,” says Worthington.

Colenso BBDO managing director, Nick Garrett (near left with Worthington in Cannes), says he is thrilled with the promotions for the pair, which he says is testament to the depth of talent within the agency: “The agency has won a number of effectiveness awards under the creative leadership of Nick and Steve, illustrating their ability to produce outstanding creative work that delivers tangible results for our clients.”

Worthington will continue to oversee the creative output for the agency, with Cochran taking on more day-to-day creative leadership, working across campaigns and overseeing the creative resourcing and department management for Colenso.