‘He has no right to be humble with his body of work’: Ogilvy nabs senior creative from Special
Ogilvy has announced the appointment of Max McKeon as its new Sydney executive creative director, marking his return to a holdco after nearly four years at independent agency Special Australia.
As the agency doubles down on its focus of a “return to creativity”, McKeon will work closely with fellow ECD Bridget Jung, who will instead concentrate on earned creative, including at Ogilvy PR, Ogilvy Health, and Ogilvy One.
McKeon will also work closely with chief creative officer Toby Talbot and chief strategist Fran Clayton, leading the agency’s creative output.
He joins after a stint at Special Australia, which he joined from New Zealand’s Colenso BBDO in 2021. Last year, he was promoted to group creative director. Prior to Special, he held roles at The Monkeys, Saatchi & Saatchi New York, Publicis Mojo, and more.
“Max has no right to be the humble, self-effacing human that he is with a body of work like his. He has his name on two of my favourite ads of all time, ‘It’s a Tide ad and ‘I’m drinking it for you’. We’re incredibly excited to have him join the Ogilvy family at this time,” Talbot said of the appointment.
“Taking on the Sydney ECD role will allow him to develop his creative leadership potential even further. He can bring his formidable skills to our clients, people and culture.
“His curiosity for different-shaped ideas is a great fit for Ogilvy, and his desire to work closely with our other creative leaders across all disciplines of our business was a big attraction for him,” he said.
The agency’s Sydney managing director, Michelle Holland, seconded Talbot’s words, adding: “Max’s passion for craft and his ability to connect with audiences across different platforms makes him a truly exceptional creative talent.
“He’s known for pushing creative boundaries and fostering a collaborative and inspiring work environment, aligning perfectly with Ogilvy’s values and focus on developing transformative and inspiring work. We’re excited to welcome him to the team.”
(L-R): Bridget Jung, Toby Talbot, Max McKeon, Michelle Holland, Fran Clayton
McKeon said Ogilvy, both as a global network and local agency, has been “hitting its stride” in terms of talent, clients, and work.
“I’m very flattered that this wonderful team, at such a great moment, would lend me their coattails,” he said.
“It’s such a powerful and varied offering, and that makes for a very interesting playground. In the immortal words of David Ogilvy ‘I’m pretty jazzed’.”
McKeon will start the new role in mid-March.
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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