Auckland - Nicky
Bell, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand announced today that Corey
Chalmers and Guy Roberts are being promoted to joint Executive Creative
Directors, effective September 1st, 2014 and that Antonio Navas will be
returning home to America by the end of the year.
Bell
said: “Antonio has been a great leader of the business and we’ve had an
incredible partnership over the last couple of years. He played an instrumental role in the
transformation of the agency and frankly, he helped us bring back its soul. Of
course it’s sad to say goodbye, but we understand he needs to be closer to his
family.”
“Looking
ahead, I’m really excited about the next evolution of the agency with Gus and
Corey. They are an incredibly talented creative force – delivering compelling,
shareable ideas across any platform. They’ve most recently led Tui Brewery’s
creative resurgence with Beer Plumber and Catch a Million, and were also behind
some of New Zealand’s favourite work for Telecom, Corolla and Hilux for Toyota.
They are inspiring within the agency as leaders and work as natural partners to
many of our senior clients because of their genuine passion and ambition for
their brands. This has been a planned succession we’ve been working on
internally since the beginning of the year and I know all our people and
clients are thrilled that Gus and Corey are taking on the ECD roles.”
Corey
Chalmers said: “We know it’s not just the letter “E” put in front our CD titles
– we’ll be working closely with our clients at every level to ensure the best
work can be done every time. Great work always comes from incredibly trusting
partnerships with clients, and we’re lucky enough to have one of the best
client lists in the country. The fact we also dearly love working alongside Nicky,
Murray Streets and Paul Wilson just adds to the excitement ahead.”
Guy
Roberts added: “Saatchi & Saatchi is still the only agency everyone in New
Zealand knows the name of. But gone are the days of just the big TV agency
approach and that’s what we’re loving here. Whether it’s plumbing houses with
beer, turning stadiums orange, or creating powerful experiential and digital
ideas, we’re enjoying creating the innovative work that our clients rightly
demand.”
Antonio
Navas said: “For the past three years New Zealand has been my home, and Saatchi
& Saatchi my family, the kind you can always count to remain. I‘ve been
inspired and I’ve been baptised by this amazing country. I now need to be
closer to family and I hear their call. I am appreciative of the opportunity
that I was given by Nicky to come to Saatchi & Saatchi and I couldn’t have
asked for a better partnership, one built on trust and applause. I am happy to
have been involved in this amazing journey and I am pleased to leave the most
amazing agency in the most capable hands of Gus and Corey. But of course it’s
hard to say goodbye - I think of Doctor Zhivago when he said ‘How wonderful to
be alive. But why does it always hurt?’”
Chalmers
and Roberts first joined forces in 2007 before arriving at Saatchi &
Saatchi in 2012. Together they crafted many successful campaigns for adidas and
the All Blacks, and were behind the phenomenally successful launch of 2degrees.
They have been heavily awarded at all the major shows, including multiple Cannes
Lions, a D&AD Yellow Pencil and in-books, numerous One Show and AWARD
pencils, Clios and back-to-back Axis Golds in the last two years.
(Photo L-R: Murray
Streets, Guy Roberts, Nicky Bell, Corey Chalmers, Paul Wilson)