BBH New York is the latest agency to rearrange its creative department for the new year.
John Patroulis, who joined BBH from AgencyTwoFifteen when it merged with McCann SF in 2011, will graduate from the CCO position to become the agency’s Creative Chairman (a new role) while ECD Ari Weiss, the former 180LA CD who moved east the very month Patroulis joined, assumes his old title.
In perhaps the most striking change, Chairman Emma Cookson — who has spent more than two decades with the BBH organization — has followed Donny Deutsch in seeking other creative opportunities (which presumably do not involve business talk shows or situational comedies).
The move does not involve any new hires: Patrick Lafferty, whose selection as North American CEO ended a six-month search in May of 2013, will retain his title as will Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Watson. Patroluis, who will oversee Weiss and his team as well as the agency’s integrated production, technology, and public relations departments, now reports to Worldwide CCO Alexandre Gama of Neogama/BBH Sao Paulo.
We will not see activity from the updated BBH New York team during this year’s Super Bowl; its two largest clients, PlayStation and AXE, will not advertise during the game.