Wednesday, October 04, 2023

16402: TTFN/CUL8R R/GA.

Advertising Age announced R/GA Connected Communications U.S. Chief Creative Officer Shannon Washington is shipping out, reportedly for a role at an unnamed sister firm in the IPG network.

 

Remember when White advertising agencies from IPG would file lawsuits against rival shops for allegedly poaching talent? Now Interpublic is inter-poaching without shame or hesitation.

 

In fact, IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky gushed, “We’re thrilled [Washington] will continue her career with IPG, as she expands the positive impact she’s having on our company and our clients with a new leadership role within our organization that will be announced soon.” Expect Krakowsky to declare the shift is a diversity victory for Washington’s new workplace. That’s how the IPG gobbledygook machine rolls.

 

But don’t expect anyone to admit Washington might just be jumping off a sinking ship.

 

R/GA US CCO Shannon Washington set to depart for another IPG shop

 

Washington heads up R/GA’s Connected Communications practice in the U.S.

 

By Brian Bonilla

 

Shannon Washington, the U.S. chief creative officer of R/GA’s Connected Communications practice, is set to depart the agency for a sibling Interpublic Group of Cops. shop, Ad Age has learned.

 

The move is expected by the end of the year, according to multiple people close to the situation, although it was not clear exactly where Washington was heading. Washington wasn’t immediately available for comment and R/GA declined to comment beyond a statement by IPG's CEO Philippe Krakowsky.

 

“We’re thrilled she will continue her career with IPG, as she expands the positive impact she’s having on our company and our clients with a new leadership role within our organization that will be announced soon,” Krakowsky said in a statement.

 

Washington, named Ad Age’s Chief Creative Officer of the Year in April, has been with R/GA for over three years, swiftly rising through the ranks. Prior to her promotion, she served as a senior VP, group executive creative director. Before that she was the head creative for R/GA’s New York office prior to the agency’s restructuring into a practice-based model last year. As part of that restructuring, Washington was named U.S. chief creative officer of Connected Communications, R/GA’s largest practice, in December.

 

The division, which is dedicated to creativity that has a media and technology focus, made up about 50% of the agency’s business at the time of her promotion.

 

Washington has been instrumental in helping lead work, including Sephora’s “Black Beauty is Beauty” campaign in 2021. Washington also helped R/GA bring on Uber and Intuit TurboTax as clients.

 

Last year, Washington led R/GA’s “Love Lives On” campaign for the Ad Council, which included a seven-minute film, “The Gentle Giant,” that recounted George Floyd’s personal story.

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