FCB New Zealand appoints Touchcast’s Matt Barnes to the role of digital creative director
FCB New Zealand has today announced that Matt Barnes will be joining its Auckland office as a digital creative director and will lead the agency’s team of digital producers and designers from April 8.
Barnes arrives at FCB from Touchcast with extensive experience in digital design and physical interactive projects in New Zealand, Australia and London.
Asia Pacific executive creative director at FCB, James Mok, says Barnes is a perfect complement to FCB New Zealand’s existing digital team.
Says Mok: “Matt has the digital expertise and creativity to evolve our digital offering, as client needs for omni-platform thinking grow.”
Barnes will be joining established digital CD Greg Wood, forming a partnership Mok believes will benefit the entire agency.
Says Mok: “Matt and Greg, who comes from a strong copywriting and technical background, should make an excellent team.”
Barnes says he is looking forward to joining FCB and sharing his experience with the agency.
Says Barnes: “I’m super excited! It’s the perfect time for me to be joining an agency with the reputation FCB has.”
He adds that FCB’s attitude towards change, combined with the company’s integrated model, makes the agency ideally positioned to continue driving communications in the digital age.
Says Barnes: “Today the only constant is change and I’m really looking forward to helping FCB negotiate the fast paced, always-on nature of digital marketing with smart ideas and new technologies.”
The need to seek talent with digital creative abilities beyond what already exists in the agency is vital according to Mok.
Says Mok: “FCB NZ has already been very successful with digitally led campaigns such as Mitre 10 Easy As and MINI/SPCA Driving Dogs, but we understand the need to continually embrace new possibilities. Matt is a brilliant addition to the team and we’re delighted to have him join us.”
Barnes began his career in Wellington, co-founding Boygirlboy (precursor to Resn) before moving to the UK for eight years. During his time there, he worked across a wide range of global brands such as Nike, Nokia, Sky and Sony as well as British institutions, the BBC and Tate Modern.
Barnes then spent two years in Sydney at Host and BMF, before making the voyage home, firstly working at Shine on projects such as the Beck’s Edison Bottle and Hyundai’s Family Time Project, and more recently as digital CD at Touchcast where he led the digital creative on Spark’s Boroughs Project.
5 Comments
Day 1: Print out sign saying DIGITAL DEPARTMENT. Stick on office door.
Day 2: Whiteboard session explaining what UX means to 30 ad creatives.
Day 3: Build a bridge so everyone can get over it.
Day 4. Resize banners ads. Art direct static gifs for facebook.
Day 187: Resign & return to full service digital agency.
Love ya Matt!
Got in, saw how dull it was, got out.
In my opinion, most purely digital agencies are nothing more than glorified graphic design agencies.
Great move, Matt.
There’s a difference between digital creative and understanding and executing (and having a respect for) UX strategy and design. Full service agencies (in NZ) typically don’t fulfil the latter at anything more than a superficial level (or have the skills inhouse) hence why you often see fun digital activations with nice creative but rarely anything that delivers a solid ROI or has longevity whilst serving a meaningful purpose.
I thought FCB only did ads and media. Great to see them bursting into the digital space. Nothing wrong with been last cab off the rank.
They’re a great crew. You’ll fit in well.
But, does their bar stock KRPG?