HHCL founder Henry to work with McCann Birmingham
HHCL founder Henry to work with McCann BirminghamSteve Henry, the former creative boss at TBWA\London and co-founder of HHCL, is set to take a non-executive creative director role at McCann Erickson Birmingham.
Henry, whose HHCL agency was behind the original 'You've been Tango'd' ads, confirmed he will take on "a part-time mentoring role" at McCann Birmingham, where he will work with the agency's new creative director, Gary Setchell.
On his new role, Henry said: "In the last few months, I’ve been taking on a variety of interesting projects, including writing a book, and working for various agencies in both the traditional and digital areas - but this one looks like it will be a lot of fun.
"As soon as I met Dean [Lovett, the agency's chief executive] and his team, I liked them all. They’re a smashing group of people, who are determined to forge new ground in integrated marketing in the future. Gary is a brilliant bloke, and I'm looking forward to working with him.”
Setchell confirmed that part of the attraction of rejoining McCann as its full-time CD was the possibility of working with Henry as a part-time mentor.
He said: "Although he will only be working with us two or three days a month, there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity of working closely with Steve Henry.”
Henry stunned the ad industry in 2006 when he left HHCL, which he launched in 1987, to take over from Trevor Beattie as executive creative director at TBWA. But he resigned last July; the result of “creative differences” according to the London-based trade press.
It was reported that Henry thought the agency should concentrate on newer forms of advertising while TBWA's hierarchy were said to be putting more emphasis on the big idea and high-profile TV work.
The announcement about Henry quickly follows the appointment of Setchell, who - as The Drum revealed in its last issue - is returning to McCann from KLM.
Lovett said: “We were extremely disappointed when Gary left us a year ago but understood his need to hone his management skills in a smaller environment. However, we think the time is now right for him to take on a bigger challenge and become the creative director of McCann Birmingham.”
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It isn't a lack of creativity that's been the barrier to great work coming out of McCanns, it's the agency's culture. Unless Steve can change that - and many others before him have tried and either given up or left - they'll be in the same place in a year's time. I hope he succeeds - the region needs better creativity and agencies winning international accolades.
he'll be on considerably more money than any of yowse
Has he been to the Call Centre? Has he seen what clients await? A year at the most.
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if it works, this is a great appointment for both mccann and the region. really hope it does work.
Maybe they're saving the joyous location as a little surprise for his first day of work.
From what i know KLM may be a smaller environment but it has a client portfolio that is every bit if not better than Mcann's and if anything produces better quality creative. Will Steve Henry and Gary Setchell change the creative factory that is Mcann's?
Actually, he looks like Gary's dad.
It's a bit like Amy Winehouse joining REO Speedwagon.
Sounds like an interesting partnership and one that's good for the region. It's about time agencies in the midlands made some noise as, too often, it's our northern counterparts that grab the headlines.
Gary & his dad storm the midlands - go for it fellas !
http://community.brandrepublic.com/blogs/stevehenry/archive/2009/04/15/b...
Load of ol' bollox then.
(Worth a squint at the blog below.)
"But they were still shocked that I’d apparently joined the agency.
As, indeed, was I."
Priceless.
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Anonymous (I wish I could be more specific, but nearly everyone here is posting anonymously) -
The story is not “a load of ol' bollox”.
Steve's blog is a good read – but there is a line in it which should not go unnoticed: “So – the Drum weren’t lying when they said I’d “joined” the agency.”
Exactly.
Steve's role is not full-time and we never said it was. We also made it clear that he has other commitments.
But ultimately, he *is* going to be working with/for/at McCann Birmingham. Both Steve, and the agency's chief exec, Dean Lovett, have confirmed as much. I think we should be reporting that.
Thanks everyone for your comments on this and all our other stories. Do keep them coming.
Cameron Clarke
Reporter, The Drum
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