Just under two months after opening its doors during the pandemic, WPP-backed agency Cartwright, founded by industry vet Keith Cartwright, delivered two major spots, for Procter & Gamble and the National Basketball Association. Now, it’s bolstering its senior-level ranks with three top execs from Anomaly, 72andSunny and Grey.

Former 72andSunny Executive Strategy Director John Graham joins as head of strategy; Andrew Loevenguth, former head of broadcast production at Anomaly, comes on board as head of integrated production; and former Grey Senior VP-Account Director Marie Massat joins as head of brand. 

All three have proven chops on big-brand work. Graham, a seven-year 72andSunny vet, previously teamed with Cartwright at the agency’s L.A. office on clients including the National Football League and Activision. He also worked on brands such as Starbucks, Sonos, Uber and Tillamook.  After starting his ad career on the media side, he moved into strategy roles at agencies including BBH and Euro RSCG.

Loevenguth, who joins after 13 years at Anomaly, is a seasoned production lead who has overseen numerous high-profile campaigns, including Budweiser’s memorable clydesdale and puppy Super Bowl spots, ads for Dick’s Sporting Goods and Converse’s music-themed pushes. Previously, he also worked at both the New York and Portland offices of Wieden+Kennedy, producing ads for the likes of ESPN and Nike, including the Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning “Tag.” 

Massat made her mark at Grey on the Gillette brand, which she worked on for nearly seven years, most recently overseeing the “Best a Man Can Be” initiative. She first connected with Cartwright through the agency’s partnership with Grey. A French native, she previously served at Euro RSCG and Havas after working at BETC Paris on Kraft and Pernod-Ricard. 

The three major hires continue the new shop's upward trajectory at a time when larger agencies have been scaling back, including Loevenguth's former shop, which underwent layoffs earlier during the pandemic in March. 

Cartwright established the agency with a nimble structure designed to give clients consistent, direct access to senior leadership. It has its own P&L but is able to staff up through its partnership with WPP’s Grey Group global creative network. Such was evident on Cartwright’s first ad, which it worked on with Grey, a P&G spot calling on the silent majority to be “anti-racist.”  The agency also recently debuted a new campaign marking the return of the NBA, featuring Issa Rae introducing a “whole new game.”