Y&R Sydney announces new creative structure as ECD Julian Watt departs after three year stint
Managing director, Andrew Dowling has announced a new creative structure for Y&R Group Sydney, which comes into effect with executive creative director Julian Watt (left) announcing his departure from the group.
Says Dowling: “Firstly, I would like to personally thank Julian for his dedication and passion to Patts and the group over the past three years. He has led our agency and creative team through a challenging period and has helped turn the fortunes of the Sydney business. He helped regain the trust of the clients and has played a key role in establishing the group agencies. As a group we aligned on this some time ago, and we’ve been transitioning since.”
Says Watt: “I have great respect for the George Patterson brand and accepted this role as a very specific challenge; to help turn around the agency’s creative product, reputation and culture.
“In 2012 the agency reached Gold status in Effectiveness and Creative Recognition – the twin targets I’d set when joining – and the business is thriving.
“Now, after 3 years in a fast changing marketplace, I’m itching for my next challenge.
I’m proud to join the ranks of creatives who have led Patts, and wish the team well in the future.”
Commenting on Y&R Group’s new creative structure, which will see Creative Leadership in each of the three agency brands, GPY&R, VML & IdeaWorks, Dowling said:
“Y&R Sydney has seen significant growth in 2013, including recent NSW Government and Dick Smith wins. To build on our momentum, we have decided to re-structure the creative team and will be appointing creative leadership in each of the specialist agencies, starting with the appointment of Tom Hoskins as creative director of IdeaWorks. Each of the agency creative directors will be reporting directly to ANZ chief creative officer Ben Coulson.”
Coulson, ranked in the top five list of best creative directors in the world (Cannes 2012) and led George Patterson Y&R to win Agency of the Year at last week’s ADMA Awards says: “In the past few years, we have focused our attention on building successful local office models, delivering the most effective work that is globally recognised. To continue this success and growth in Sydney we believe each agency needs dedicated creative leadership. It goes without saying, that we are excited about the new direction in Sydney and wish Julian the very best in his next chapter.”
32 Comments
Stay happy JDogg.
Wow, one signed t-shirt campaign for a charity.
The archetypal “Bullet the ECD” press release. It’s appalling how agencies always seem to lose CD’s every three years and not CEO’s. Why am I not surprised?
“Firstly, I would like to personally thank “insert ECD name here” for his dedication and passion to “insert agency here” and the group over the past three years. He has led our agency and creative team through a challenging period and has helped turn the fortunes of the Sydney business. He helped regain the trust of the clients and has played a key role in establishing the group agencies. As a group we aligned on this some time ago, and we’ve been transitioning since.”
Another one bites the dust.
Please forward CV’s to Ben Coulson C/O GPY&R.
Clients don’t trust agencies, they trust people. You might as well add ‘client’s trust’ the departure announcement as well. 3 years down the drain.
Well done Julian – always great working with you. You brought some much needed brains, passion and stability to the place. A job well done.
So who was the ECD who lost the ‘trust of the clients’, Julian Watt had to spend 3 years to regain?
Y&R’s loss. Good luck Julian.
They must trust a few more people than the ECD then.
Get real you are a knob. That agency how has 150 plus staff and a crap load of new clients and good work to show for their efforts over the last 3 years.
Pretty good from basically a zero base.
Good Luck Julian.
Julian you did an amazing turn around of an agency that was totally broken – you’ve left Sydney office in a much much better space than when you arrived. Congratulations, you’re a gentleman and a total professional.
I think he’s gone for a creative meander
Julian, well done for what you have achieved. And how you achieved it. I wish you and your family all the best for the future.
Rufus can you please enlighten me with the actual names of those ‘crap load of accounts’.The press release highlighted two-Dick Smith (hardly a big fish) and that old weasely one Govt. business.
It was an absolute pleasure. Nothing but respect for how you conduct yourself.
Overall, it feels like JJ should score a low pass on his time there. His good creative instincts served him admirably, but he could probably to do much better with the people he choses to keep close. A fail on ‘judge of character’ IMHO.
Funny you talk about judge of character, because I’m pretty good at that and judging by your comment I’d say you were a bitter twisted gutless little…you get the point. Don’t know Julian by the way, but so know people like Burrel and where they generally go or don’t go in life.
Very decent, talented bloke. Best of luck Julian.
Nice and talented. He’ll find somewhere that deserves him.
Working with you was even more amazing than everyone said it would be. Whatever you do next, I know it is going to be brilliant. Good luck Jules.
How many people he fire while he was there? Or should we say suggest they find another job.
Jules, it’s been short but very sweet. You are an inspiration and an asset to the industry. I wish you and the family a successful future ahead.
how come you are only posting comments that are positive towards julian and deleting the negative?
is that a julian request, or a backwater, aussie thing?
If you are not going to make people sign up properly, and are too scared of putting all the comments up, then don’t do any.
The comments in this article look like an embarrassing disjointed flow of people with a point, and Julian himself, responding as multiple characters.
I get it. You guys like to think you know what is going on, when in fact you are at the ass end of the world, and lack any true culture, because you are descendants of common prisoners.
At least pretend like you understand blog/commenting best practices .
@only positive julian posts?
Congratulations, you win the award for strangest post ever on Campaign Brief. And, let’s be honest, there is some pretty fierce competition for that title.
Interesting how during the period later described as a disaster, all PR is so positive.
Wishing you all the best, Julian. A true gent and a major talent.
@6.21 it seriously takes skill to write that kind of rubbish. You’ve cleverly combined about 20 forms of abuse in that post. I’d say you must be a very sad little englishmen
corporate chicken shits
You’ve been a great boss and a great mentor. All the best in all that you do and I look forward to when our paths cross again. “IIAV”
you didn’t post my second email,
the one where I truthfully and without expletives explain what it is like to work with Julian?
what was the reason for not posting that. intern moderator?
campaign brief is as lame as every other ad rag that has no clue about digital media.
Nice of you to only post one side. but then, how unexpected is that?
No Aussie ever got accused of being too deep.