CBJWT's Dom Rodwell becomes Gyro Manchester creative director
CBJWT's Dom Rodwell becomes Gyro Manchester creative directorThe Drum can reveal that the Manchester office of GyroHSR has ended its exhaustive search for a new creative director with the appointment of CheethamBell's Dom Rodwell.
Rodwell had been at Manchester-based CBJWT since the beginning of the year, when he joined to head up its digital division following the closure of his own agency Flame Digital.
His arrival brings to an end the B2B marketing agency's patient hunt for a "big creative signing" which has been ongoing since the departure of previous incumbent Warren Gaskell in October.
Danny Turnbull, managing director at GyroHSR Manchester, said: “This is the single most important hire we could make and we’ve not been in a rush to jump into it.
"The world is changing rapidly and we’re all outgrowing the good old agency models of the past. That’s why we were looking for a CD who can challenge the way we tick and remain a constant agent of change and innovation - in addition to being an outstanding creative mind, of course.
"It took us a while, but we’ve found him. We’re thrilled.”
Rodwell added: “It’s a great time to join GyroHSR as a CD: the agency’s got a real appetite for change, for moving forward – and fast. They’re a bunch of ambitiously creative and curious people, who’ve achieved great things already. I’m looking forward to taking them further."
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Comments
So this is a 'big creative signing' is it????
+1
and does he need specs? Seems to be squinting.
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Rodwell and van Heel get stuck into paving brand. Nice work, Danny.
"in addition to being an outstanding creative mind, of course."
Really? You don't think that at all. And you don't care either. It's all about getting someone who knows, or is perceived to know, 'digital'.
A digital agency, hiring a really good, proper, creative. That's got to be the way forward.
Anon 16:06
"A digital agency, hiring a really good, proper, creative. That's got to be the way forward."
Completely agree! But so many digital ego's are too fragile to admit this! Knowing digital, does not mean you know creative, strategy or marketing. Put the technology as hero and it's the tail wagging the dog - digital is just another tool/channel!
Combine digital technology expertise, with good old-fashioned creative expertise and experience, and you might just create the goose that lays the golden egg!
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Good on you Dom - congrats my friend!!! You're a good catch :0) Anyone who designs a logo as good as ours obviously knows their B from their B...go conquer!
I don't know if Max is taking the piss with the logo comment, but anyway to my point.
It's galling to keep seeing these technology people stealing the Creative Director title. Idea is still king. Idea will have longevity. Idea will be the only tool to drive brands to fame, now and in the future. Digital is just another channel and always will be.
These people are Technology Directors. Pure and simple.
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Lovin' all the stealth sniping - put your name where your insightful comment sits! No piss taking on logo - stood the test of time. Nothing clever in identifying that technology is merely the enabler and 'idea is king'; the magic comes in the symbiotic relationship between an in-depth understanding of the enabler and a clever execution of the idea. Ideas remain ideas until intelligently executed.
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Judging by his picture, did this guy have a rough night on the ale or what?!
I''m pretty sure anyone who is anything but a bitter creative posts on here anon. Which is why people with any standing show their name. I'm actually a not very good art director(no I wish I was, but Im average!) who wishes Dom well as he's a very talented guy who ran his own company for 5 years. And as Duncan says, he looks like a night on the ale, that advertising!
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Congratulations, Dom. Most of the comments come from people who don't know you and jump to superficial conclusions. Just to clarify everyone - Dom is a 'creative' not a 'developer'. Yes, a lot of the media he worked in was digital, but still required a creative concept. I also recall that Flame produced quite a lot of off-line creative too - print, film, press etc. So I don't see how he isn't qualified to do the job.
I think 19:32 has it exactly right!
David, it's the quality of his work that matters. Not the mere fact that he did some 'off-line creative' too. I would hazard a guess that he's never been in the same room as a great piece of creative work - feel free to prove me wrong.
Exactly, haven't yo-yo (or what ever they're called) just gone for a name (CBJWT's at that) and a flavour of the month (digital) & thought "Bingo".
Creative first, then the digital application. Unless they are turning into ano digi shop of course with very little meat in a whizz-bang sandwich.
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Hi Anonymous 12.21. Of course it's the quality of his work that matters. I don't think I implied otherwise. How would you hazard a guess as to his ability? In fact, why would you hazard a guess if you don't know him, unless you do know him and you have some particular chip on your shoulder? Didn't you get the job? If you feel that strongly about his ability, or lack of it, why don't you show your face/work instead of hiding like the coward you are? I've certainly been in the same room as him when he has produced great off-line work, but that would be for Dom to show you, not me. As for my own creds, please feel free to look at my website.
I would hazard a guess at his ability as a creative because I have never seen a good piece of work with either his or his agnecy's name attached to it.
It's nothing personal. I don't know him and I certainly didn't go for the job.
I just think it is endemic of the situation the industry has got itself into. Great creative work and great creative people must be king again. Their importance is vital to a 'creative' industry such as ours. Digital agencies are full of creative directors who are nothing of the sort. And now when a more traditional agency wants to bolster their digital creds, they make a hiring like this.
Sooner or later clients, and then agency bosses, are going to wake up and smell the coffee regarding 'digital' as some kind of universal panacea to their marketing needs. It isn't!!!
As far as about 75% of digital agencies are concerned, it's a case of 'the emperors new clothes'.
There's so much hype and bulls....t being hurled about by digital 'guru's (or IT people as I tend to think of them), I'm expecting to see Max Clifford show up as a none exec director at one of them next.
The little girl pointing out to the crowd the painfully obvious, is hopefully not long away now!
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Because Dom was creative director of a digital agency is to presume that is his only experience. He started out life as an off-line creative as far as I am aware. To say a person experienced in online creative is unable to succeed in off-line media is as puerile as saying that I can't do digital creative because my background is ATL advertising.
It's comments like this that further divide the two disciplines.
That is the reason I'm particularly fond of responding to these ill-conceived comments - not because of some desire to defend Dom, but to disagree that a creative from one discipline is unable to succeed in another.
After all, it is the idea that matters - the canvas comes after. I completely agree that there is a huge element of emperor's new clothes. New media, online, social media, digital, however you want to describe it, should only be employed if that is the best way to reach your target audience with your message. Simple as that.
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