Wieden + Kennedy has announced the second big change to its leadership structure since October: Jason Bagley and Eric Baldwin will lead the Portland office as co-ECDs, alongside executive creative director Susan Hoffman and managing director Tom Blessington, approximately eight months after the former became CCO of Deutsch in L.A. The changes follow the agency naming 15 new partners in October.
Mark Fitzloff, who has spent nearly twenty years at W+K, is also leaving to accept an unspecified creative role outside the network, while creative director and MF Doom fan Eric Baldwin is being promoted to the co-ECD role.
Bagley and Baldwin partnered as co-creative directors on W+K’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign for Old Spice from 2006 to 2011. More recently, Baldwin has led the agency’s KFC account as creative director, while simultaneously heading up the agency’s creative technology and product innovation offering, The Lodge. During his time with W+K, he has also worked with clients including P&G, Electronic Arts, Target, Kraft, and Levi’s.
Bagley spent the last eight months as chief creative officer out of Deutsch’s L.A. office, where led creative for clients including Volkswagen, Taco Bell, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Target, and Sprint.
“Eric and Jason leave a ridiculous trail of great work behind them as they step into their new roles,” W+K global CCO Colleen DeCourcy said in a statement. “Naturally curious and capable across all kinds of media, these two don’t leave any opportunity on the table when building a brand. As leaders, they inspire with humility and a sense of fun. I have huge expectations for them both. I believe they will push us out of our comfort zone and into our wildest dreams for this place.”
“I’ve had a fantastic experience at Deutsch. It’s an amazing place and I’ll miss all the incredible people and clients who became dear friends,” added Bagley. “But W+K is my home, and I’m excited to return and work on the next chapter with all the incredibly talented people there. And reuniting with my exceptionally talented and exceptionally bald partner, Eric, is the cherry on top. I can’t wait to get started.”
“Jason leaves as a great friend of the agency and we wish him all the best as he returns with his family to his home in Portland,” a Deutsch spokesperson told Adweek.
A source close to the matter said that Deutsch CCO Pete Favat will return to his role leading the office and that the agency wouldn’t be looking to replace Bagley in the immediate future.
Fitzloff originally joined W+K Portland as a copywriter back in 1998. He was promoted to creative director in 2005, partner and executive creative director in 2008. During his time with W+K, he led P&G’s Old Spice account, as well as working on Coca-Cola, Chrysler and Target.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye to a longtime colleague. W+K Portland would not be where it is today without Mark’s contributions,” W+K global president Dave Luhr said in a statement. “Under his leadership, the Portland office doubled in size, produced award-winning work for clients across the board, and earned some of the industry’s top honors for both the agency and himself. Mark’s creative leadership attracted and mentored some of the best creative talent in the industry. We want to thank him for all he has done at W+K and wish him the best in this next chapter.”