After a global search, J Walter Thompson New Zealand has hired Justin Barnes as executive creative director. Barnes, who was most recently creative director at SapientNitro in London, will take the creative reins in January.
Barnes replaces Cleve Cameron, who left the agency in May to pursue a career in music.
“When we set out to find our new ECD, we wanted to find a creative leader who had demonstrated the ability to build big brands, but was also fluent in new technologies,” said JWT NZ managing director Simon Lendrum.
“Justin is such a leader.”
JWT Worldwide chief creative officer Matt Eastwood said: “Today more than ever we see that creating truly pioneering solutions requires an intersection of skills. It’s fantastic to welcome Justin to J Walter Thompson, as he comes equipped with a diversity of experience that can empower us to craft even more integrated creative solutions for our clients’ brands.”
Barnes has been responsible for awarded campaigns across 15 years at Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy and David&Goliath.
In 2010 he joined the newly-formed hybrid agency SapientNitro, where he honed his traditional and digital marketing skills, harnessing the broad spectrum of emerging media to provide innovative multi-channel creative solutions for clients including Footlocker, Converse, McLaren Automotive, Standard Chartered Bank, Ladbrokes and Lycra.
About J Walter Thompson
JWT NZ is part of WPP AUNZ, one of Australasia’s leading marketing content and communications groups. The agency was founded in 1864 and today includes several global networks, including J Walter Thompson Worldwide, Mirum and Colloquial. JWT opened its first office in Asia in 1929, and employs over 3800 people in 53 offices across 18 countries (including NZ) in the region.
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