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Round and round Saatchi’s goes, where she stops nobody knows

A couple of weeks back it was all backslaps and bumpats at Saatchi & Saatchi after it won the Sanitarium account. But this week it’s back to what seems to have become a relatively normal state of flux for the agency after a couple more high-profile additions and subtractions.

Deputy creative director Tim Huse, who’s been with Saatchi’s since late 2006, is off to borrow some Sugar, signing on as their creative director. Sugar’s current creative director Nigel Corbett will now be taking care of the digital and activation side of the business.

Matt Shirtcliffe, who was previously with AIM Proximity and has been a creative director in New Zealand for over ten years, has also left Saatchi & Saatchi DGS to form his own company Shirtcliffe and Co.

He came back to Kiwiland in 2008 when Saatchi’s separate direct and digital division DGS was set up. Campaign Brief also reported an unconfirmed rumour that the last of the DGS founding partners, direct general manager Tony Gardner, is also moving on.

Shirttcliffe told Campaign Brief: “I’m proud of what we achieved in a short space of time. From start-up, we won AdMedia Agency of the Year and created some great award-winning work along the way. Now it’s time to focus on the future and I’m really excited about it.”

As for the replacements, Anne Boothroyd will come on board as Saatchi’s creative group head on 7 July, Scott Huebscher from Saatchi & Saatchi LA takes up the role of digital creative director on 16 June, while Steve Andersen and Dave Reid from AIM Proximity join the fold on 14 June.

Saatchi’s chief executive Nicky Bell says the appointments bring new dimensions of digital and social media capability to the talent we already have at the agency.

During her time at Clemenger and Colenso, Boothroyd has done some spectacular work on accounts such as Yellow Pages, Vodafone, Air New Zealand, New Zealand Book Council, New Zealand Transport Agency, Frucor and Mars.

Executive creative director Dylan Harrison thinks she’s one of the best creatives around, as evidenced by the three nominations she picked up at this year’s D&AD awards.

“She writes more irresistible participative ideas before lunch than most agencies do in a whole year and still makes it look easy. Quite simply, while others talk, she walks the walk. I can’t wait for her to rip into the creative opportunities in the department.”

Huebscher bring extensive experience working on Toyota’s interactive efforts at Saatchi & Saatchi LA. Prior to that, he was at jUXT Interactive, RPA and Bates, where he worked on a range of clients including Coca-Cola, Boost Mobile, FuseTV, Honda, Pioneer and Hyundai.

“Scott has been driving some of the most innovative interactive creative in the Saatchi’s network globally, so we’re delighted to have him on board in New Zealand. We share the belief the only place for a digital creative director is in the heart of the creative department, working with media neutral teams across the entire customer journey. Scott is a key part of putting interactivity into everything we do,” says Harrison.

Anderson and Reid have spent the last couple of years at AIM Proximity in Auckland working on Vodafone, The Warehouse, TVNZ, Air New Zealand and Yellow Pages. Prior to that, they were at Saatchi & Saatchi Johannesburg working on Peugeot, Sony Ericsson, Pampers, Olay, Guinness and Diageo.

“Steve and David are a perfect fit for where we’re taking the agency. They’ve built their career on solving real business issues for clients with world-class creativity. Most importantly, they’ve delivered in every media in spades and are advocates for joined up thinking across all consumer touch points. I’m delighted to welcome them back into the Saatchi family,” says Harrison.

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