Manifest appoints Kostas Karanikolas as global executive creative director
Global brand communications agency Manifest has announced the appointment of WPP’s Kosta Karanikolas to the position of global executive creative director, heading the operation’s international creative team.
The announcement:
Global brand communications agency, Manifest has today announced the appointment of Kostas Karanikolas to lead its international creative team as the independent operation’s new Global Executive Creative Director (ECD). Joining from WPP where he was Global Executive Creative Director, Karanikolas’ decades of experience also include senior creative roles at Saatchi & Saatchi, RAPP, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and BBDO. His new role at Manifest will see him lead the global creative and production teams as the agency continues to attract international brands looking for unified creative strategy.
Karanikolas commented:
“Manifest has already forged a global reputation from bold creative work that has redefined entire categories, let alone companies. There is a collective focus here to do significant work and this is a team that not only understands how to come up with ‘the big idea’ but to deliver it with impact and efficacy too. It’s a compelling proposition for brands looking for an alternative to the same old global networks.”
“I find the independent agency model to be more nimble, original and unfiltered, responsive and entrepreneurial. With its unified creative offering, global reach and focus on innovation, it’s clear to see how Manifest has become a star in the ascendent, and it’s very exciting to be a part of the next chapter of their journey,” he added.
Responsible for the group’s creative output across its London, Manchester, New York, Stockholm and Melbourne studios, Karanikolas will steer a global creative team working with brands as varied as tech giant Logitech; parenting pioneer, Tommee Tippee and recipe box unicorn, Gousto.
Manifest Founder and Group CEO, Alex Myers commented:
“Bringing someone of Kostas’ calibre on board is a statement of intent for us as we continue to expand our creative horizons across the group. He brings with him not just experience, but enthusiasm and passion for his work that has already inspired our creative teams. It’s a very exciting time for the agency.”
Karanikolas was Global ECD at WPP for 2 years, leading the agency giant’s global work for GSK, having been a Global Creative Director at Saatchi and Saatchi and RAPP before that. In over 20 years in the industry in London and New York, Karanikolas has developed campaigns for major brands such as Gillette, Huawei, Tide and Guess, among others.
Despite the pandemic, Manifest has grown revenues by more than 50% in the last year, opening its latest studio in Melbourne at the height of the global lockdown. The global headcount has increased by 52%, across all aspects of the business including Strategy, Insights, Creative, Production, Client Service, Project Management and Operations.
Manifest Founder and Group CEO, Alex Myers continued:
“Our unified approach to both our work and to how we collaborate as a group has allowed us to grow and evolve our business, despite the on-going pandemic. With world-class talent and new skillsets joining our team, I’m confident we can build on our international reputation for building brands that change the world.”
Source: Manifest media release
