Alkema’s creative alchemy lands her plum Wellington role
After a bit of a wait, Clemenger BBDO managed to find a replacement managing director when Andrew Holt shifted south from Colenso in late 2010. And it’s also been on the hunt for a new creative director ever since Paul Nagy left in mid 2010. Good things take time, of course, and it’s now filled the position after executive creative director Philip Andrew, who has overseen some pretty bloody good work since taking responsibility for the empty chairs, announced the internal promotion of Brigid Alkema.
Alkema began her career at Clemenger in 1999 when she was hired as one of the first young teams to join the newly merged agency. She did three years in Wellington before taking time off for bad behaviour, heading to DDB Sydney, Clemenger Sydney and then a stint travelling the world. She rejoined the agency in 2006 and went on to produce much of the agency’s best work, turning a lot of it into Gold. And, most recently, she was partly responsible for one of the best ads of 2011 (and a couple of now very well-ingrained pop cultural quotes, one of which was included as the headline for her press release: ‘Alkema’s been internalising a really complicated situation in her head’) and the recent Drug Driving campaign.
“Didge has worked with a number of different partners over her time in the industry and despite that constant change, great work has always been the result,” Andrew says. “She works hard to develop respectful relationships and has matured into a world class strategic and creative thinker. The announcement of her appointment to creative director recognises the role Didge has played in the agency for some time now. It’s a mark of her commitment to the work that she made us promise that she would still be on the tools.”
Alkema will continue to work with her partner, senior copywriter Mitch Alison.
The news comes the day after Scott Henderson announced he was moving from his role as associate creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington to creative director of Y&R Wellington.
And you're hot
January 26, 2012
So hot you're making me sexist.
thom
January 26, 2012
Congrats! Well deserved.