Manchester City Council’s in-house agency, m-four, has appointed Ian Smith as its creative director.

Smith, one-time creative director at Derby-based SAM, where the creative agency picked up Roses and Cream awards under his stewardship, joins after a relocation to Manchester earlier this year that resulted in a busy period in a freelance capacity.

Commenting on his appointment, Smith said: “This is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on a very ambitious agency, I was completely sold on m-four’s drive towards being recognised for producing progressive creative work – something they have already made great strides towards. The fact that a large proportion of the work is public sector should guarantee some briefs that lend themselves to creating work that makes a positive difference; this is a very exciting prospect.”

Creative services manager Martyn Barratt added: “This was a long and exhaustive search for the right person to take us forward and we’re delighted to have someone of Ian’s experience and enthusiasm on board.

“Anyone who has met Ian will be aware of his infectious enthusiasm, which is why we’re really excited about working with Ian to deliver some great creative. You may not have heard about m-four before, but we think Ian’s about to change all that.”

Meanwhile, m-four hasjust completed the second phase of a teenage pregnancy campaign for the Manchester Joint Health Unit. Aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy rates in Manchester, as well as promoting awareness of the Fresh and Brook clinics, the creative has been getting rave reviews from the health profession and creatives alike.

m-four’s Creative Services Manager Martyn Barratt says: “This was a great campaign to work on and we’re really looking forward to developing it over the next 12 months.”