Publicis hires Renato Fernandez to lead creative across its US agencies

Renato Fernandez, the longtime TBWA\Chiat\Day creative leader, is moving to Publicis Groupe, where he will assume the newly created position of chief creative officer for Publicis Creative U.S. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Fernandez will start Aug. 1 and report to Susie Nam, CEO of Publicis Creative U.S. Nam said Fernandez is expected to raise the creative bar across Publicis’ U.S. agencies, while maintaining the independence of each and what makes them unique. The agencies include Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Fallon, Team One, BBH, The Community, Turner Duckworth and MSL. “We have these amazing, storied [agency] brands that have been a big part of the fabric of our industry for so long. We have newer ones, we have older ones, and they cover the footprint across America,” Nam told Ad Age. “What Renato’s role is meant to do is help feed, nourish and sharpen all of the thinking and make them even better than they already are.” Fernandez, who spent 13 years at TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles in all—including the past seven as CCO—said he sees Publicis as a company leading innovation in the industry, and Nam as the kind of valued business-side partner who champions creativity. “What Publicis is building got me incredibly excited. What they did with Marcel, then Le Truc, then PXP—they’re always ahead of the curve,” he said. “What really sweetened the deal was Susie. When you have a leader who is not the creative leader but still believes in creativity more than anything ... she is such a driving force.” Nam and Fernandez both said the goal is not to bring top-down mandates but to work with the office CCOs to expand each agency’s potential. Nam likened it to what Gareth Goodall has been doing for the past two years as chief strategy officer for Publicis Creative U.S. (Nam joined last December, eight months after leaving Droga5.) “We are not trying to define the narrative for each agency—we want to keep their identities clear. But when you have a strong creative leader, the standards naturally go up,” Fernandez said. “I have an optimistic take on this industry. I always believe in possibilities. That’s what I want to bring to the collective—the sense of possibilities. We want to elevate them, in their own making, so they can reach their potential.” Cannes Lions coverage See all of the Grand Prix winners here Top 5 Grand Prix campaigns While the hire gives all the agencies a single creative leader at the top, there is no plan to bring the separate agency brands any closer together—beyond how they already occasionally collaborate. “Where they can be complimentary in an offering, we bring them to bear,” said Nam. “But the price for that shouldn’t be a dilution of what each agency has to offer. We still believe very much in each of the brands.” Nam added that she felt Fernandez’s energy and optimism were the perfect fit for where she wants to take Publicis in the U.S. “He has this extreme, insatiable passion for this industry,” she said. “At a time when some might be skeptical or question the impact of creativity, Renato renews both my faith in it and my passion for it. My hope is he does that for all of us.” In his career, Fernandez has done celebrated work for global brands including Gatorade, the Grammys, Levi’s, Volkswagen, Airbnb, Visa, Adidas and Pepsi. Erin Riley, U.S. CEO at TBWA\Chiat\Day, said the agency wished Fernandez well in his new endeavor. “Renato has been at TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles for 13 years and my trusted partner for nearly eight,” she said. “Every single day he brought infectious passion, the highest creative standard, indomitable optimism and the most generous heart. He helped steer the agency through the turbulent pandemic towards exceptional growth with great brand partners. As he departs, we are well positioned to double down on disruptive creativity across the total brand experience. There is no doubt he is leaving the jersey in a better place. We will forever root for his success.” Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here

Publicis hires Renato Fernandez to lead creative across its US agencies

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