The Monkeys adds creative firepower with hire of Big Ad creator Grant Rutherford
Independent agency The Monkeys has confirmed it has landed one of the biggest names in Australian advertising, naming Carlton Big Ad co-creator Grant Rutherford as creative director.
The naming of Rutherford to The Monkeys troop comes nearly a year after he left the role of Publicis Mojo chief creative officer as the Mojo brand folded into the newly minted Marcel.
Rutherford has charted a storied career in Australia, having worked with some of Australia’s biggest agencies from George Patterson Y&R, where he created the Big Ad as part of Carlton’s multi-award winning Made From Beer campaign, to Clemenger BBDO and most recently Publicis Mojo.
The Monkeys chief creative officer Justin Drape told Mumbrella that Rutherford had already been working quietly with the agency for a number of months, working as a mentor to younger creative teams and also having had some limited input into recent Telstra and Meat & Livestock Australia work.
“It’s happened quite organically,” Drape said.
“He has been working with us on some projects and assimilated quite seamlessly – he really fits our culture.”
Drape said a major element Rutherford would bring to the agency was a level of attention to design and art direction that was often lacking in campaigns that were being quickly rushed out across multiple channels.
“I think he is one of the best art directors in the country and that is going to be very helpful at a time when people are not putting value on craft,” he said.
“We really pride ourselves on craft and I think it is more important than ever when everyone is sending messages out on multiple channels.”
