Digital creative leader Lars Bastholm’s high-profile crossover into the hierarchy of a traditional agency has ended after just two years.
Bastholm joined Ogilvy & Mather in 2009 as chief digital officer for North America. A year later, after Bastholm played a leading role in the shop’s successful pitch for Ikea’s business, Ogilvy named him to fill its chief creative officer slot in New York. Now the agency is seeking his successor.
Bastholm, 42, will exit Ogilvy next month. The WPP Group agency credited him with attracting new digital talent, but some questioned his abilities as a manager. Before Ogilvy, Bastholm was co-chief creative officer at AKQA, working on brands such as Coca-Cola, Smirnoff, and Motorola. Earlier in his career, he worked at Framfab in Denmark.
At Ogilvy, Bastholm was among a cluster of creative leaders in New York that also includes Worldwide CD Tham Khai Meng and Steve Simpson, chief creative officer for North America. Simpson will oversee the New York creative department until a new CCO is found.
