MDC's CP&B has named veteran Wieden & Kennedy Creative Director Kevin Jones as the top creative in its Los Angeles office, which works on accounts such as Applebee's, Charles Schwab, A.1. Sauce and Grey Poupon.
The move is part of a series of creative executive changes at CP&B in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Jason Gaboriau, who was executive creative director in Los Angeles along with Sue Anderson, left in September. Ms. Anderson will now leave her role as executive creative director to focus on other projects, including writing a book. She will still work with CP&B on projects, however, and continue in her post until Mr. Jones takes over in February. As executive creative director, Mr. Jones will run creative for the L.A. office without a co-executive creative director.
CP&B Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Rob Reilly left last December, and the agency decided not to fill his post. Instead, it said it would give more autonomy to the creative leaders in individual offices. In April, CP&B named Ralph Watson chief creative officer of the Boulder office. Bob Winter, the creative lead in CP&B's Miami office, left earlier this year for VSA Partners. The agency plans name a successor but has not yet.
Mr. Jones is perhaps best known for his work at Wieden on Procter & Gamble's mom-focused campaign, which included efforts around the Olympics in 2012 and 2014. He also worked on the shop's Chrysler account, for which he was a writer on the automaker's Super Bowl spots "Halftime in America" featuring Clint Eastwood and "Born of Fire" featuring Eminem. Other work includes Dodge's spot featuring Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, an effort on which he was a creative director, as well as work for Nike, Coke, Target and T-Mobile. He's had three separate stints at Wieden & Kennedy, the most recent of which began in 2009. He's also worked at Cole & Weber and freelanced at Grey, Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Publicis.
"Kevin's work speaks for itself, and anyone who has taken a look at what he's done through the years would agree," said Mason Reed, managing director of CP&B's L.A. office.
"We're looking forward to seeing what he can do with the clients we have here and the momentum in the L.A. office," he added.
Mr. Jones said he was attracted to the post after hearing from Chairman Chuck Porter about how he sees the agency moving forward, particularly in Los Angeles. More autonomy for the offices was also a draw, he said.
This fall, CP&B won the sizeable global Infiniti account after a long and drawn-out review that lasted nearly a year. The agency, having set its sights on China, said it would open an office in China on the heels of the win.
