Accenture Song hires W+K vet Jason Kreher as its newest creative chief

Fresh off its rebrand from Accenture Interactive, Accenture Song has announced the appointment of Wieden+Kennedy vet Jason Kreher into the newly created role chief creative officer, brand, North America. Kreher is responsible for steering and fortifying the creative offerings of Accenture Song’s brand practice within its communications division. Kreher had served at Wieden+Kennedy for 14 years, ultimately as creative director, entertainment and editorial. He made his mark with ideas that traveled well off the beaten path, for clients such as Old Spice, KFC, Verizon, Meow Wolf and Portugal the Man, among others. One of Kreher's campaigns for Verizon, for example, involved a Minecraft mobile phone that players could actually use to take selfies and order pizza. Among his antics for KFC were a romance novel that turned the Colonel into a Fabio-like hunk and a campaign that sent the brand’s Zinger chicken sandwich into orbit, while his promotions for art collective Meow Wolf’s installations took viewers into very weird worlds. More recently, Kreher had worked with Accenture Song—then known as Accenture Interactive—on developing the brand’s buzz-making QR Code Super Bowl ad that scored 14 billion earned media impressions and also sparked a controversy around client-agency relations, following tweets from the company's CEO Brian Armstrong. After creating the Coinbase spot, Kreher officially stepped into his new post in late February, though the company officially announced the move today. Read more: Coinbase ad sparks call for change on how agencies are treated Kreher's work has earned him numerous accolades across the Cannes Lions, D&AD, the Webbys, AICP and the Clios. He was also named Creative Director of the Year at Ad Age’s Creativity Awards in 2018 and one of Ad Age’s Creativity 50 in 2017. See all of the 2022 Ad Age Creativity Awards winners here Kreher left Wieden+Kennedy at the beginning of 2022 after “14 years with some of the smartest and most talented people I’ve ever met,” he said. “But I’ve always been creatively restless, and this thing David [Droga, Accenture Song CEO and creative chairman,] is building is an irresistible opportunity to make the kind of work I want to make.” As for how the Coinbase ad came to be, Kreher had originally planned to take time off between his gigs, but the brand had come calling about the Big Game. Coinbase “said we’ve got sixty seconds on the Super Bowl, we want to promote a Bitcoin giveaway, and we’ve got three weeks,” Kreher recalled. “That was the brief. We all knew ‘The Crypto Bowl’ was going to have a lot of crypto brands yappin’ about the category, so honestly it took about two minutes to think that a QR code on screen for an awkwardly long time, with no words, would be pretty bold in that context. Ragen [Fykes, Accenture Song creative,] and I thought the DVD screen meme [from] ”The Office” hitting the corner reference would be a funny and visual way to build a little bit of tension. And then we made it.” In his new role, Kreher will be working in partnership with Alex Woods, brand lead, communications for North America and Jason Michaels, digital engagement lead, communications. Kreher will also work closely with Global Chief Creative officer Neil Heymann and Global Lead Communications Sarah Thompson to address the needs of clients looking to explore areas of branded entertainment, Web3 and emerging technologies. Read more: Metaverse marketing guide for brands All eyes will be on how Kreher’s distinctive creative approach will meld with the data and technology muscle of his new company. The “lack of wanting to be pigeonholed is exactly the draw here,” he said. “The things happening in the world of tech and entertainment in culture is the most exciting expression of creativity I’ve ever seen, but the best stuff is not really happening in marketing or for brands. The access I have here to data, tech and strategic thinking makes it feel like I’ve got a whole new box of crayons to play with.” As for his time at Wieden+Kennedy, Kreher said he will be taking the lessons learned into his new gig. “I am so lucky to say that I genuinely loved my job at Wieden + Kennedy,” Kreher said. “Wieden really helped me understand that a work/life balance is not only possible when making great work, it’s necessary. I'm excited to take that lesson with me—I want to help creatives from all walks of life make incredible things while actually enjoying what they do for a living.” In a statement, Heymann said: “As a long-time fan of Jason Kreher’s work and his approach to the business of creativity, I’m pleased to report that he’s also a warm and charismatic leader who shares the ambitions we have for Accenture Song. Can’t wait to see what he and his team come up with as we connect them with Song’s unique capabilities in technology, media and intelligence.” Thompson added: “As Accenture Song continues to bring growth through relevance to clients, harnessing the imagination, intelligence, and technology only we can offer, it’s vital that we strengthen the bar-raising creative rigor in our ranks. Jason Kreher embodies just that and will be collaborating and joining as one with an experienced, integrated marketing team with deep knowledge in consumer goods, technology, manufacturing, finance, and all sectors seeking growth and relevance.” Ad Age events and 40 under 40 Ad Age Next: Multicultural Marketing on May 9 Ad Age In-Depth: TV Pivot on May 24 and 25 Enter Ad Age's 40 Under 40 by July 11

Accenture Song hires W+K vet Jason Kreher as its newest creative chief

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