Former R/GA EMEA and W+K China head of strategy Rob Campbell joins Colenso BBDO in New Zealand

| | No Comments
Former R/GA EMEA and W+K China head of strategy Rob Campbell joins Colenso BBDO in New Zealand

One of the world’s most well-known strategists, Rob Campbell, will be joining Colenso BBDO New Zealand as chief strategy officer.

 

In a career spanning over 30 years, Campbell has worked with the world’s most iconic brands at agencies like Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai, R/GA and Cynic. He’s lived and worked all around the world, leading talented gangs of strategists to help create award-winning work for brands including NIKE, Google, IKEA and Spotify.

A well-known speaker, writer and mischief-maker, Campbell passionately believes in creativity, culture and chaos, and is delighted about the opportunity to embrace these beliefs at the Cannes Agency of the Decade, Pacific.

A no-longer-secret fanboy of Colenso, Campbell says about the move: “Creativity can let people hidden in the shadows feel seen and make those who love the spotlight feel scared. It’s a deliciously deadly weapon and while many talk about it and many write about it … few truly embrace it. One who does is Colenso.

“Despite being relatively small and based in New Zealand, Colenso has consistently kept the global giants on their toes and looking over their shoulder … and I’m utterly thrilled I’m going to get to play there. Frankly, I can’t wait to see what positive damage we can create together.”

Says Scott Coldham, managing director at Colenso BBDO: “We’ve been speaking to Rob for years on and off, and an opportunity that happened to work for us all presented itself – and we couldn’t be more excited. Rob is more than a CSO. He’s an opinion in every room, a cultural leader, a talent magnet, and a very experienced strategic thinker who will challenge and grow our agency, our clients and the creative product we deliver. He’s a big hire for us, and will be a tide that raises all boats, so to speak.”

Campbell, the co-founder of The School of Strategic Arts with Martin Weigel, will continue to spend the next few months finishing projects with music, fashion and gaming royalty while continuing to write his rambles at The Musings of an Opinionated Sod.

He will arrive, virtually or IRL, at Colenso in early 2021.