Naked’s top creative Simon Veksner departs as agency moves to ‘flat’ structure
Simon Veksner has departed the role as head of ideas at Naked Communications a little over a year after joining the agency.
Veksner
The agency has also relocated its Sydney office to the same office space as fellow Enero-owned agency BMF in Pyrmont.
The exit comes as Naked Communications looks to rebrand itself as a creative agency having previously described itself as a communications agency, with founder Will Collin saying in an opinion piece penned for Mumbrella yesterday “it is a perfect statement of what we do”.
However, CEO Carl Ratcliff told Mumbrella Veksner’s departure was just “a moment in time” and come as the agency looks to implement a new “flat” structure across creative teams.
He added: “The new structure will have several creative teams. Will I have a new ECD tomorrow, no. Will there be creative directors who can lead teams on bits of business, absolutely.
“Him moving on in no way reneges from our ability to deliver exceptional creative. Naked as a brand has always been a creative agency, but now we’re just being a bit more honest about what we do.”
Ward
The departure follows the start at Naked this month of Paul Ward, who was unveiled as the new chief production officer of the group after just over a year as regional chief operating officer for Host, a role he held for just over a year.
Ratcliff said Ward’s introduction would make “creative delivery as good as it ever was”.
Describing the relationship with new office-mates BMF Ratcliff added: “It’s like any organisation, whether that’s WPP or Publicis, we are able to draw down resources from around the group whether that’s The Leading Edge or BMF, any group has that ability.
“Are we independent, do we have our own P&L, do we pitch for and deliver work as Naked? The answer is yes.”
Veksner joined the agency in November 2012, having previously spent seven years at DDB London, a stint as creative director at BBH before moving to Australia to join DDB Sydney as deputy executive creative director. He left there in June 2012 to start Scamp Creative, before joining Naked.
His exit follows those of founders Adam Ferrier and Mike Wilson last year, with the agency rebranding globally and dropping the moniker communications agency in favour of creative agency, which Collin said he hopes will break the “narrow minded view” of advertising agencies being colloquially known as creative agencies
It’s a bugger isn’t it when perception management gets overtaken by reality.
User ID not verified.
….So a ‘creative agency’ moves in with another ‘creative agency’?
User ID not verified.
It will help ‘Synergies, back ends, cross fertilisation’.
And which floor will the creative come from? hmmmmmm….
User ID not verified.
Naked will only be around for a few more ‘moments in time’ given the amount of talented people (and clients) that have gone.
User ID not verified.
“Naked as a brand has always been a creative agency”
Ideas and solutions come from people, not a logo or the name of a company.
How are you going to be ‘creative’ without any creatives?
What is it that your clients are actually buying?
User ID not verified.
One of the best in the biz… stupid to lose talent like that.
User ID not verified.
“resigned”
User ID not verified.
Carl Ratcliff told Mumbrella Veksner’s departure was just “a moment in time”
– I’m sure Simon likes being referred to simply as a “moment in time”. Love a bit of staff recognition.
“Him moving on in no way reneges from our ability to deliver exceptional creative. Naked as a brand has always been a creative agency, but now we’re just being a bit more honest about what we do.”
– Which implies that you weren’t honest previously about what it was you provided? Ambiguity FTW.
Looks like Naked still doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is “culture” is simply the emperor’s new clothes?
User ID not verified.
Veksner is talent, and a great ECD. I wonder if Naked even know what they’re losing.
User ID not verified.
so an agency ‘re-brands’ by moving in with another agency?
some really truly strange decisions coming out of the Enero camp over the past couple of years
Naked’s orderly retreat from the marketing industry is turning into a route. Enero needs to rip the plaster off, not pull it slowly.
User ID not verified.
Can you see the trend?
When things are not going to plan, rebrand:
Photon to Enero
Naked to Naked creative agency
BMF to ?
User ID not verified.
Naked gives good creative.
User ID not verified.
Hi Carl, Enero rebranded ‘The Leading Edge’ as TLE a few years ago – rather questionably. The Leading Edge was a brilliant / pioneering research agency. What does TLE mean?
User ID not verified.
WOW – what a loss. Simon is the best copywriter I’ve ever worked with. He’s a top bloke too. Big shoes to fill…
User ID not verified.