Minneapolis-based independent agency Periscope welcomed back Brian Boord in the position of group creative director as part of a wave of senior-level hires that Adweek reported yesterday.
In the role, Boord will help drive the agency’s creative direction while working across a client roster that includes Target, Best Buy, ExxonMobil, Walgreens and Petco.
Boord rejoins Periscope after five years at DDB Chicago, where he worked on accounts including McDonald’s, State Farm and Skittles, including that Steven Tyler Super Bowl ad. (He’d previously spent a seven year stint with Periscope.)
Boord says he’s excited to be returning to the agency and be given the opportunity to “help shape creative going forward and be part of a shift in momentum” as Periscope “grows its creative reputation.” He believes his time at DDB Chicago gave him “invaluable experience” working on broadcast campaigns which provided a highly visible stage for his work with brands like Skittles and State Farm, which he called “great clients to work on.”
The other senior-level hires reflect the agency’s efforts to expand and diversify its offerings with arrivals who hail from shops near and far, big and not so big.
- Creative director Rhea Hanges (BBDO Atlanta)
- Creative David Hahn (Barkley)
- Creative director Jen Stocksmith (VaynerMedia)
- Associate media director Caitlin Curran (BPN Chicago)
- Senior brand strategist Tony Smith (FCB Chicago).
- Group director of integrated media strategy Renea Hermen (Novus Media)
- Director of the agency’s content unit, Periscope Creative Studios Erik Jacobs (Olson)
Boord called the batch of new arrivals a “well-rounded cast of people from a well-rounded cast of agencies,” adding, “The surge of people coming from different markets and bringing different experience is huge for both Periscope and Minneapolis.”
In a statement to Adweek, chief creative officer Peter Nicholson, who joined the agency from McKinney last March, said, “We have so much we can offer not only to clients but to our teams by being an independent and integrated agency. The collaboration is easier, and bigger, bolder ideas are free-flowing.”
The agency’s most recent wins include Jack’s Links (digital, social) and Woodford Reserve (creative AOR).