Wieden+Kennedy social media exec John 'JP’ Petty III departs to lead his own agency

John “JP” Petty III is leaving his role as global executive creative director of Wieden+Kennedy’s social media unit Bodega to focus full-time on the creative agency he co-founded with his wife in 2018, 14th And Market. Petty’s last day with W+K is today. He joined as head of social in November 2018 and helped establish the agency’s social media strategy through the creation of Bodega, a social creative studio that works across New York and Portland, Oregon offices. “JP’s been a force at W+K since he joined in 2018,” an agency spokeswoman said via email. “He helped us embed social into creative storytelling—it started in a silo, and now social is integrated into everything we do. Of course, we’re sad to see him go, but we’ll always celebrate talent leaving this place to build something new.” Read Ad Age’s 2025 predictions stories here W+K will not fill his role, as it has integrated Bodega into its regular operations, the spokeswoman said. She added that the agency does not plan to dissolve Bodega as a distinct unit. “JP has built a strong infrastructure across the W+K network that runs Bodega day-to-day,” she said. “He helped give this thing its launch pad and a plan for expansion, and now it runs the way he and W+K intended.” Petty’s departure follows the October exit of Cha Spruce, former head of creative strategy at W+K Bodega, who left to join Ogilvy New York as an executive creative director leading earned-first creative for PR, social and influencer. W+K plans to replace Spruce, who helped establish Bodega in Portland. Also read: 62 creatives to watch in 2025 14th And Market Capabilities built by Bodega played a key role in WK’s recent win of Verizon’s social media account, estimated to be worth about $10 million. Seeing Bodega grow to its current size helped Petty realize that it was the right time to focus full-time on 14th And Market, he said in an interview. “We have to treat that account with the same reverence and rigor as we’ve treated McDonald’s and Delta,” he said. “That’s going to require another degree of commitment … if I dedicate the three brain cells I have left to building anything, I want to do it for myself.” 14th And Market provides creative services to brands, including developing and designing merchandise and experiential events, creating intellectual properties such as podcasts and closing deals with creators and celebrities. Now that he’s full-time on the project, Petty plans to formalize the agency’s role for potential clients and talent. 14th And Market is currently working on a t-shirt capsule launch and a revitalized social media strategy for clients. It’s previously worked with organizations such as HBO, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Converse. The agency is also looking to recruit creative voices from inner cities and underrepresented ad schools to build its full-time employee roster from three to 10 by the end of the year, while relying on contractors in the meantime. It will have an office in Philidelphia (where it derives its namesake from the intersection of two streets) but will operate remotely. “We’re going to be looking for the absolute illest talent on the planet,” Petty said. “I’m the product of a historically Black university. The advertising and media industry isn’t always the friendliest place to us so I’m going to make sure that 14th And Market is.”

Wieden+Kennedy social media exec John 'JP’ Petty III departs to lead his own agency

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