Alex Gardner has moved from Mother to London Alley, taking over as chief marketing officer at the production company to help it transition to a full-service creative studio.
London Alley, based in Los Angeles and New York, has historically operated as a music video and commercial production house and has produced work ranging from Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” video to a recent campaign from cannabis brand Cann. Over the last year, the shop has been modifying how it operates, taking on more creative and strategic responsibilities, and bringing in Gardner and adding a creative studio are the first steps in its plans.
London Alley Creative Studios (LACS) offers services ranging from creative ideation and strategy to campaign execution and production, and serves as a direct-to-brand offering.
To manage and accelerate future growth, LACS has hired Mother’s chief growth officer, Gardner. At Mother, she led new business and communications, helping win clients including Sonic, Peloton, Tripadvisor, Dave & Busters and Quip, leading the agency to double digit revenue growth during her tenure.
Gardner also oversaw the successful launch of several businesses that fell under the agency’s umbrella, including Mother Ventures, Mother Goods, SuperBloom House and Media by Mother.
“London Alley’s DNA is producing music videos based on culturally relevant touchpoints. As CMO, I plan to lean into that sweet spot and build off of it in an interesting way that is appealing to brands and positions us as a nimble, creative studio producing cultural moments at speed,” said Gardner in a statement.
Prior to Mother, Gardner held positions at Zambezi, BBDO and 72andSunny.
Gardner joins on the heels of Luke Anderson, the co-founder of Cann, joining as partner, investor and executive producer. He has raised more than $30 million in funding for the THC & CBD-infused beverage.
London Alley also has plans to grow a venture studio side of the business to serve as long-term partners. Current and past clients of London Alley include Google Play, Pepsi, YouTube, Netflix, MLB, Sony, Kia, Old Spice, Pandora and Taco Bell.
“The evolution of London Alley into our next chapter is incredibly exciting for our business. We can’t wait to take the success we’ve seen in the music industry and translate that into creating culturally relevant content for brands,” said Luga Podesta, CEO of London Alley in a statement.