GLOBAL – LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, DECEMBER 2011: RKCR/Y&R has announced the appointment of Toby Talbot as executive creative director, replacing outgoing ECD Damon Collins.
Currently the Group ECD of DDB New Zealand and Regional Creative Director for DDB Asia Pacific, Talbot is ‘Creative of the Year for Australia/New Zealand’ according to Campaign Asia-Pacific and has been amongst the top three most awarded creative directors for the last eight years in Creative Brief’s annual Australasian CD rankings. His personal metal tally includes Golds at Cannes Lions, The One Show and the Clios.
Talbot has taken DDB New Zealand from strength to strength delivering a string of award winning work including numerous campaigns for Sky and Volkswagen and “The one that got away” for the Coast Guard Institute while also steering it to win three Campaign Brief Agency of the Year titles in the past four years. As ECD of DDB NZ, the agency has won major awards at all the big shows in the last five years and is now one of the top five offices globally in the DDB network.
Talbot has been instrumental in merging direct, digital, design and PR divisions into one integrated offering. His understanding of how to build ideas and departments that are completely media neutral makes him valuable as he joins Alison Hoad and Ben Kay in leading the agency.
Mark Roalfe, the Chairman of RKCR/Y&R, said, “We scoured the globe for the very best creative talent and were really excited to find Toby. The standard of the work he has led at DDB is fantastic, but most of all Toby is a very charming and down to earth chap. He’s very Rainey Kelly in all his attitudes and I’m really looking forward to working with him to grow RKCR to its next level.”
Toby Talbot added: “Mark, Alison and Ben have a vision for the agency that is incredibly exciting. I have always admired Rainey Kelly from a distance. They have an enviable client list that keeps growing. Mark, as the one constant in their success, has nurtured a strong, entrepreneurial and above all, creative culture. Under his leadership, RKCR has consistently done great work that works, and for their biggest clients too. I want to build on the momentum that is already there to take the agency to the next level. There are huge gains to be had by opening up new channels and working more fluidly. I just can’t wait to get into it.”
