After around three years with JWT New Zealand, executive creative director Peter Ogden has resigned and will return to Sydney.
“We’ve got a three month old and we realised we need the support of the family around us,” he says. “My wife’s a Sydney-sider, and her family are based there.”
He’s staying open-minded about what he’ll be doing for a crust when he gets there. But, having worked briefly for Clemenger BBDO Sydney and at DDB Sydney as a senior writer for around ten years, he’s got a few irons in the fire and will start the process after a bit of a break.
JWT managing director Simon Lendrum wouldn’t discuss the departure but said the hunt for a replacement is well underway.
Ogden joined the agency in 2008 as deputy creative director and was promoted to executive creative director the following year. And, with around twice the number of people working there now compared to when he started, he says the agency definitely has some wind in its sails.
He puts this down to a few big wins like PlaceMakers, some well-received campaigns such as the latest Ford All Blacks AB35 effort, the enthusiasm of Lendrum and the close working relationship with the digital team.
Youtube VideoHighlights during his tenure include some brand work for Ford, with a particular favourite being a TVC for the Mondeo, the Jack Daniels Virtual World Tour, the Cannes-winning Kit Kat Chairs and a soon-t0-launch campaign for the global launch of the new Ford Ranger, which it has been working on for the past six months.
“That was a real coup, because the brief was sent out to the whole JWT network and we won it,” he says.