Saatchi & Saatchi NZ snares DDB Sydney’s Shaun O’Connor for digital creative director role

Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand has announced the return of Kiwi Shaun O’Connor to its fold, where he started his advertising career. 

O’Connor is a world class digital talent, having spent the last ten years in Australia at the front and centre of some of the most awarded digital campaigns in the world, at agencies in Sydney including Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA and latterly DDB.

As digital creative director, O’Connor will be partnering Amanda Chambers, head of digital and content, who joined Saatchi & Saatchi in September, further bolstering the agency’s digital and content capability.

O’Connor joins Saatchi & Saatchi from his role as creative tech director at DDB Sydney where, alongside Toby Talbot ~ now CCO at Saatchi’s NZ ~ he spearheaded the most awarded mobile campaign in the world last year, #comeonin for Sydney Opera House. #Comeonin won 9 Lions at Cannes in 2016.

Says Chambers: “Few people combine cutting edge tech, in-depth industry knowledge and the ability to apply it like Shaun. I look forward to partnering with him to execute his vision. Together, we feel we can bring a fresh new approach to digital offerings here in New Zealand.”

Says O’Connor: “Everyone that works in a creative field knows that New Zealand is second to none when it comes to innovative ideas without the BS. The environment Paul, Toby and Amanda are creating is one in which concepts can be developed, prototyped and taken to the world. Plus, any agency that made Clever Kash is an agency I want to work for.”

Says Talbot: “I’m wary of the expression ‘digital native’. Shaun is a rare thing; an advertising native who really gets digital. He gets ideas. He gets tech. He gets how to build stuff, and he gets how to collaborate. I can’t wait to see what he and Amanda can do together. They’re an exciting pairing, joining at an exciting time for Saatchi. Paul and I are stoked to have Shaun on board.”