BBH Group promoted BBH Los Angeles executive creative director Pelle Sjoenell to the position of worldwide chief creative officer. He succeeds Alexandre Gama, who recently stepped down from the role to focus on Sao Paulo-based Neogama (formerly Neogama/BBH), the agency he founded in 1999. Sjoenell will lead the agency in partnership with CEO Neil Munn.
Sjoenell originally joined BBH as executive creative director at BBH New York in 2007, where he worked on high-profile campaigns including “Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul in the Streets,” “Dear Sophie” for Google and “Clean Your Balls” for Axe. Three years later he left to launch the agency’s Los Angeles office, where he remains executive creative director. In 2014 he also co-founded The Creative Studio, along with Scooter Braun, a self-described “next generation content studio” and joint venture between BBH Los Angeles and Scooter Braun Projects. Prior to joining BBH, Sjoenell spent a year as associate creative director with Fallon. That followed nearly six years with King, where he rose to the rank of CEO. He got his start as an art director with TBWA Hallstedt & Hvid Nordic Europe AB, leaving after about a year to take a position as a creative director with Hollingworth Mehrorta, where he remained for five years before joining King.
“Personally, I’m absolutely delighted that Pelle is now stepping forward to lead BBH creatively,” said agency founder Sir John Hegarty. “BBH has always been driven by outstanding creativity. Celebrating that and ensuring it continues in a world of expanding needs and opportunities, requires us to not only hire the best creative people possible, but also to be led by the best. That’s why I’m excited by the appointment of Pelle Sjoenell as our new Worldwide Chief Creative Officer.”
“I fell in love with advertising because of a Levi’s ad that BBH created when I was a teenager,” added Sjoenell. “I’m delighted and extremely honoured to be taking the creative helm of this great agency. Only white sheep can be herded. To lead black ones, you have to be one.”