Canadian independent agency Rethink has boosted the creative firepower at its growing New York office with the hire of Tara Lawall from Droga5 as executive creative director.
Agency News
Rethink hires New York executive creative director from Droga5
Tara Lawall, who’s also a published author, is eager to foster ‘a little rebellion in the work’ at the growing indie
Lawall believes there’s a “gap in the market” of New York agencies doing consistently good work.
Credit:
Rethink
Lawall spent almost nine years at Droga5 in all, over two different stints, most recently as executive creative director. She’s also held creative posts at agencies including Anomaly and 72andSunny. At Rethink, she’ll work with Daniel Lobatón, chief creative officer in New York, to bring the agency’s lively, insurgent style to the largest ad market in the U.S.
Lawall was at Droga5 throughout its acclaimed heyday and sees that same kind of creative consistency emerging at Rethink, which was named Ad Age’s 2023 Creative Agency of the Year.
“I think there’s a lot of creatives in New York who are feeling a bit lost right now,” she said. “They want to be at good agencies where they can consistently produce good work, and that’s currently a gap in the market, to say it simply. Rethink is standing out as an independent that’s doing incredible work on a regular basis, and that’s what attracted me.”
Lobatón said he’s been a fan of Lawall’s for a decade.
“Her work is smart, funny, strategic and always with an extra layer of insightfulness, which is what makes her such a fantastic creative and leader,” he said. “We’re both aligned on the amazing opportunity that’s building Rethink in New York.”
Lawall, meanwhile, called Lobatón a rare style of CCO, with a “strong vision” who “knows how to make things happen.”
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Lawall has created work for clients including Mattress Firm, Pizza Hut, Coors and Prudential. She’s also the author of two books—an adult humor book, “There Are Too Many Milks,” co-written with Anne Marie Wonder, and a children’s parody book, “This Little Piggy Went to Market in the City,” illustrated by Rich Greco.
In advertising, Lawall is a believer in making space to push ideas to their limit.
“I like to encourage people to bring their most daring, interesting, smart, peculiar ideas to the table,” she said. “That’s where you get the best stuff. I aim to create environments where we always feel like we are getting away with something. People like to feel a little rebellion in the work and I believe that teams and our partners can only get there when everyone feels safe and heard.”
Rethink New York is working for clients such as Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz and Molson Coors, and recently announced a partnership with soundtrack platform innovation company Epidemic Sound.
