Joakim Borgström, BBH’s Singapore Creative Chief, Is Now the Network’s Worldwide CCO

The agency announced today that longtime BBH creative Pelle Sjoenell, founder of its Los Angeles office and worldwide CCO since early 2016, is headed to Activision Blizzard, where he will be chief creative officer for the gaming brand behind Overwatch and Call of Duty.

Moving into the worldwide CCO role for BBH is Joakim Borgström, creative chief of BBH Singapore, which has produced some of the network’s most innovative campaigns in recent years.

“I feel honored and humbled to have been given the responsibility to carry the Black Sheep flag and walk it into the future. I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity,” Borgström said in a statement, referring to BBH’s Black Sheep logo. “If this is a dream, please don’t wake me up.”

For Sjoenell, the transition is bittersweet as he exits a shop that’s been his home since 2007 and one that entrusted him with opening the L.A. office in 2010.

“To lead BBH creatively has been the honor of my life. To have worked alongside Neil Munn, my partner in crime, and had the mentorship of Sir John Hegarty, my hero, has been absolutely incredible and I am eternally grateful,” Sjoenell said. “I never thought I’d do anything else after 12 years, but Activision and the future of gaming hits right where my dreams and passions have always lied.”

Borgström joined BBH London in 2014 as a group creative director, then moved to its Singapore office to take on a CCO role at the end of 2016.

There, he led the creation of campaigns such as Ikea’s “Human Catalog” (see below), the Nike Go BKK campaign that turned a run through Bangkok into a real-life video game, the Hyper Court project in partnership with Nike and Google, and Nike’s Instagram-focused Battle Force Live effort.

“To pass this amazing baton to Jab feels so damn good,” Sjoenell said. “He’s someone I have looked up to and been inspired by throughout the years and I feel very confident that the Black Sheep will be in the hands of a great creative leader and shepherd.”