After spending a good portion of 2011 freelancing at Deutsch LA, Jerome Austria has officially been appointed as EVP, group digital creative director on the Volkswagen account. Most recently, Austria served as the creative force behind the teaser for the automaker’s Super Bowl follow-up to last year’s “The Force” called “The Bark Side,” which continued with the Star Wars theme and featured pooches barking “The Imperial March.”
You might remember Austria from his days at W+K New York, where he spent nearly three years and last served as ECD on accounts including Brand Jordan (such as the “Dominate Another Day” campaign starring Dwyane Wade) and ESPN before parting ways with the agency a year ago. Austria and co-ECD Kevin Proudfoot were subsequently replaced by Scott Vitrone and Ian Reichenthal, who returned to W+K after several years.
Anyhow, back to Austria. Though he initially planned on a temporary stay at Deutsch LA while testing out other local agencies, the success of campaigns like “The Bark Side” convinced him to stay put according to the agency, which currently houses 450+ staffers.