Cam Blackley exits BMF to join M&C Saatchi as CCO
BMF’s executive creative director, Cam Blackley, is departing BMF to join M&C Saatchi as its chief creative officer of both the Melbourne and Sydney offices.
In a statement, Blackley said: “These four years have flown by, because I’ve spent that time alongside colleagues who are incredibly talented, great people and have a wonderful sense of collective ambition. BMF has a very strong line-up of creative directors in Alex, Jen and Ant with outstanding work already in development for 2018.
“Hard as it is to leave, I do it knowing that BMF is in excellent form and back to its very best.”
Blackley joined the agency in 2014 from his previous role as a creative director at Droga5 Sydney.
At the time of his appointment, BMF’s creative founder Warren Brown, said: “Cam has produced great work in Australia, London and New York. His ideas are fresh and quirky and have broad appeal, which is exactly the sort of work we’re known for doing at BMF. Cam’s leadership skills and understanding of Aussie culture will be a great addition to the BMF team.”
During his time at BMF, Blackley worked across various accounts including ALDI Australia, TAL Insurance, MLA, Australian Government and Football Federation Australia.
M&C Saatchi lost its chief creative officer Andy DiLallo to TBWA in February.
Russell Hopson, group MD at M&C Saatchi, said: “Cam’s work has delivered brilliant, populist, effective ideas that live and thrive in the modern media landscape. This is precisely what we need to fulfil our goal to be Australia’s most influential creative company. We’re ecstatic to have him and can’t wait until he starts.”
Blackley has been at the helm of BMF’s creative team for almost four years, most recently leading the well known Ben Johnson ‘putting roid in Android’ Sportsbet ad, which was later banned by the Ad Standards Board for making light of drug use.
Steve McArdle MD of BMF says: “Cam is a great guy, has built an outstanding team and delivered a great body of work. He’s helped us achieve ‘Effective Agency of the Year’ and really bring BMF back to its best. Fortunately for us, part of his legacy is a World Class creative department with real strength, depth and diversity of talent at every level. It’s with our thanks and very best wishes that he moves on to pastures new.”
“Over the coming months we’ll be talking to the best creative leaders in the business about the ECD role, including internal and external candidates, and will announce Cam’s successor in due course.”
Congrats Cam.
Huge move. You’re gonna smash it.
Onwards and upwards to all and sundry.
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Good move!
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Bid
Me
Farewell
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Forking great stuff.
Excellent news for both parties.
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This will be an interesting fit.
Cam is well known around town for saying innovation is rubbish and only TV works.
M&C Saatchi’s most well known work of recent times is all ‘innovation’: Clever Buoy, Fire Blanket, Build with Chrome, etc.
I wonder if this means the end of clever buoys and a return to great TV ads or a change of heart from Cam?
I also wonder as a Chief Creative Officer how much he’ll be able to be on the tools, which is where he works his real magic?
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@Pundit – interesting. Back at Droga5 when they were working at Cadbury account I worked for the digital agency. We had many meetings together and my impression from Cam was always excellent. He cut through to me as being a creative pushing for things that work regardless of media/channels. Although we never crossed paths again I actually found him to be a f. smart creative with a quite ambitious and innovative take on creative.
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