Graeme Atha is to join Frame© as a board director as the agency prepares to open a London office.
Atha – a former DraftWorldwide director - set up his own consultancy, Crak Marketing, when Draft closed its Edinburgh office 18 months ago. Since then he has worked on a number of projects, including Scottish Courage’s McEwan’s Sessions marketing campaign which won a Marketing Society in Scotland award in May.
Frame© – which rebranded from its former identity Frame Cunningham in 2003 – has also bolstered its team with the appointment of Neil Wallis as head of design, and former Morrison Bowmore marketer Matthew Mitchell as an account director. Wallis was previously freelancing in London and also in Tokyo.
Atha, who is also chairman of the Marketing Society in Scotland and the Scottish Marketing Association, said; “Clearly I am very excited at joining Frame C. It is nearly 18 months since DraftWorldwide closed its doors and whilst I have enjoyed creating Crak and developing a number of very exciting projects. I have missed the cut and thrust of agency life. I met Alan for the first time only a few months ago but I was immediately impressed by his vision and enthusiasm. I was particularly struck by his ambition to "create something great". This was something that really struck a chord with me.”
Atha will continue as chairman of both the Marketing Society in Scotland and the SMA.
Frame, who bought out former partner Alan Cunningham 18 months ago, said of the London office opening; “Seventy per cent of our work is outside of Scotland. We have a strong brand offering which is widening. We’ve focused on growing the business organically, and a big part of Graeme’s brief is to focus on that. We’re trying to create great relationships and we’re lucky in that when we need people we go and buy them, a lot of agencies can’t.”
Atha was involved with Clarke Hooper in the late 80s, which went through a MBO to create The Boroughloch Group, specialising in drinks marketing. The group was sold in 1999 to Interpublic Group, which then rebranded it as Draft. When the agency closed in 2003, Atha was business development director.
Frame© has also hired the services of respected planner, Merry Baskin, as a consultant. Baskin, who worked at J Walter Thompson, ChiatDay and Saatchi & Saatchi, will work on a project basis.