CATMUR DEPARTS DDB FOR REGIONAL ECD ROLE AT Y&R
After seven years with DDB, Executive Creative Director Paul Catmur is leaving the agency to take up the regional ECD role at Young & Rubicam, still based in Auckland. In his new job, effective January, he will head the creative department of George Patterson Y&R Melbourne as well as becoming a partner in the New Zealand business. Catmur will also join the global Y&R board.
Y&R Brands CEO Matt McGrath said that Catmur's appointment was an outstanding coup for the agency: "Paul has a brilliant track record, both in terms of his own personal award haul and for the work created by the teams at DDB under his leadership. He has enormous respect from the industry, having judged at Cannes, Clios, 4As and most recently the convenor of judges for both AWARD and Caxtons.
Says Catmur: "GPY&R Melbourne has got to be producing some of the best creative in the world. They were Agency of the Year at AWARD, but I believe their potential has only just been tapped. And I'm really looking forward to working with Jon Ramage who has built a great business and team in NZ."
Chairman and CEO of DDB New Zealand and Australia Marty O’Halloran commented: “We’ve been working with Paul for more than a year now to explore a broader remit for him within the DDB network. Eighteen months ago, Paul was promoted to Asia Pacific Executive Creative Director which gave the DDB network access to his talents.
“However, after a relatively long time with one agency, especially in creative terms, Paul needed a new challenge.
“Pragmatically, we’ve anticipated the reality of this happening. Paul has delivered a great creative team and product for DDB and he leaves behind an agency in very good shape. We wish him well in his new role with Y&R, but obviously not too well!”
Paul begins a long-planned two month sabbatical on Friday to write a film script, before starting his new role as Executive Creative Director Australia New Zealand for Y & R.
New Zealand based Group Managing Director of DDB, Sharon Henderson commented “Naturally it’s disappointing, but not unexpected. Seven years is a long time for this industry. Right now, we’re moving on with making another great appointment for DDB.”
Discussions are already underway and an appointment announcement is expected in the near future.
posted by CB @ 9:32 AM
26 Comments:
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Lynchy, I was wondering if you have a picture of Paul Catmur at all?
Especially one with sunglasses on.
It would be nice to see that.
Y&R NZ's press release announcing this contained two American spellcheck spellings and some blatant apostrophe abuse.
Catmur will soon sort that out.
All the best to you Catmur. Sounds like a huge opportunity.
He obviously feels he has bigger fish to fry......good on him. As usual, he hasn't sat around and bitched about his situation ,he's done something about it. Their loss.
i heard he was leaving for a head re-alignment and reduction operation.
The empire strikes back.
Mwahahahahahahahaha
On ya Catmur.
I can't believe DDB let you go.
The Sydney office has gone to shit. It wouldn't be surprising if the Auckland one follows suit.
What a crap press release from DDB for someone who has obviously made such a positive impact on the agency. It is obvious when you read between the lines that there was friction between Paul and the new management team.....i'm surprised he's the one going.
When Catmur was at DDB NZ he never missed an opportunity to downtalk Patts' Melbourne work everytime he got asked to do Creative Review for Campaign Brief, including a very cynical public opinion on 'The Big Ad'. Now that he has the big job, suddenly, he says Patts is one of the best agencies in the world. Go figure.
Well that ends any speculation about Patts Melbourne's creative focus.
Good luck trying to beat them now.
Nice Coup guys.
The best agency in the region just scored one of the regions best ECD's.
Win win.
ATTENTION LYNCHY: Please archive some stuff from the blog now, too many things to load every time you flick to read comments and then back again (or, put it back the way it was where comments open in their own window) It's all just slowed down too much.
Thanks mate.
Love the guy, but can he get a new picture. Again with the weird proportioned head shot. Maybe it's badly retouched onto another body.
wanker.
Onya Catmur. I can't believe DDB let you go. Watch Auckland go the way of Sydney.
I think it's always interesting to watch how a CD performs when he/she moves from Auckland to Australia.
Remember when there was a lot of talk about Mikey O, when he moved to Melbourne.
6.02- News flash: every CD bags other agencies' work.
Lynchy - You have posted a pic of Morrissey by mistake. No wait, hang on that is Paul. Sheesh.
Nice one Paul! Go for the jugular.
DDB is clearly struggling to hold on to good people.Word on the street Paul won't be the last.Marty might have to resort to the chequebook.
Does anyone remember what happened the last time a hot shot Kiwi CD was brought over to a highly creative Melbourne agency?
I guess at least this time there's a role to fill.
Good luck mate.
Hope you did your homework. Y&R is a one jewel crown.
Hope bagging the agency's past (ads) doesn't bite you on the arse.
Hope you don't go the way of Mike O. Very different place that Australia (where you'll be spending your every waking moment).
Hope you didn't leave DDB because of friction with management. Y&R makes them look like three day old kittens.
And again, hope you do well.
Just on Patts Melbourne, did anyone see the shameless Boonie Doll plug on the Glasshouse final episode last night??
Good bit of under-the-radar marketing, similar to the stand up gig that was on here a few weeks ago.
Paul's a nice guy & a talented CD - it will be great to have his experience in the Australian industry.
Will he be able to fit his head through the door at Y&R?
He looks much cooler on Brand Republic
http://tinyurl.com/yz5bsp
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