Cramer-Krasselt Chicago Parts Ways With Executive Creative Director Ken Erke

By Erik Oster 

Cramer-Krasselt Chicago senior vice president, executive creative director Ken Erke is leaving the agency this week after leading the department for approximately two years.

“We wish Ken well and and thank him for his talent and professionalism,” an agency spokesperson said.

Erke has served in the role since joining Cramer-Krasselt from R/GA in February of 2015. He spent nearly four and a half years at R/GA, serving as vice president and executive creative director. Prior to R/GA he spent two years as CCO with Y&R Chicago, where he led successful new business pitches on Double Tree Hotels, Hotels.com, Giant Eagle, Bonefish Grill and Einstein Bros. Bagels. Before receiving the promotion to CCO, he spent over a year as an executive creative director with Y&R Chicago.

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Replacing him, as of January 24, will be Rick Hamman. Hamman has spent the past three years at The Onion Labs, most recently serving as its chief creative officer.

Before joining The Onion Labs as a senior vice president in March of 2014, he spent nearly three years at Energy BBDO. He arrived at Energy BBDO as a vice president, creative director in November of 2011, working his way up to a position as senior vice president, group creative director before leaving for The Onion Labs. Prior Energy BBDO he spent around a year as a creative director at Factory Design Labs, after an earlier stint with Cramer-Krasselt. During his first stint, he spent nearly five years with the agency, serving as an associate creative director and then creative director, focusing on the Porsche account in the latter role.

Neither Cramer-Krasselt nor the party that alerted us to Erke’s pending departure elaborated on the reasons behind the decision.

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