As mentioned in another publication somewhere late yesterday, the chief creative officer of one of the country’s largest Hispanic agencies is leaving to “pursue new creative interests.” The agency should announce his replacement soon.
Omnicom’s LatinWorks didn’t end up publishing a press release after the story broke. The agency’s plans to hold a party of sorts for departing CCO Sergio Alcocer today will not be affected, but everything had to be sped up a bit.
Alcocer, who joined LatinWorks along with CMO Alejandro Ruelas and CEO Manny Flores back in 1999 right after the latter two execs “started the shop in a basement in St. Louis,” hasn’t said anything about where he’s going next. But he has led creative there for 15 years, and in the (unreleased) release, he said now was the time to move on:
“I leave at the most appropriate time for me and for the agency. It has been a privilege to work for outstanding clients and side by side with so many incredibly talented personnel. We’ve done great things together, but I have no doubt that the agency’s best years are ahead.”
Ruelas calls Alcocer “a pioneer in our industry,” writing that “We are grateful for the opportunity to have collaborated with him, and for the creative organization that he helped us build. His presence will be felt around the agency for a long time to come.”
We hear that LatinWorks does have specific plans to replace Alcocer, but that information won’t be released until next month. The agency’s most recent work includes a campaign for Marriott that focused on reaching out to more diverse audiences (a message that has not been lost on the ad industry at large). Other clients include Target, AB InBev, Lowe’s and Dominos.
Earlier this year, the shop also collaborated with executives at GSD&M to launch Sibling, a new Austin-based org that will “implement a new strategic model for reaching the evolving American mainstream,” or a group of consumers who don’t happen to look exactly alike. Rafael Serrano, who was a creative director at LatinWorks and a copywriter at W+K Portland, leads that shop.
LatinWorks will promote one of its own creative leaders to replace Alcocer. Here are some candidates.