Agency Hill Holliday has appointed Peter Nicholson as its new chief creative officer. He will oversee creative across the agency’s client roster, reporting to president Chris Wallrapp.
Nicholson joins from Periscope, where he led the integrated agency as its first ever CCO, building it into a nationally-recognized shop with multiple awards for creativity and effectiveness.
“Peter brings years of business and client wisdom to Hill Holliday. Combined with his constant curiosity about the pulse of culture and infectious energy, he will have a multiplier effect across the agency—further elevating our imagination, amplifying client results and bolstering business growth,” said Hill Holliday CEO and chair Karen Kaplan in a statement.
Nicholson, who takes over the position previously held by Icaro Doria, who is now at DM9, has won numerous awards, including Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, Clios, Communication Arts, D&AD Pencils and more. He has delivered work for brands including Target, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, Rolex, IKEA and Heineken.
“Peter is one of the most creative people in the industry and he has a deep understanding of how to deliver across media channels and throughout the customer journey,” said Wallrapp. “He’s the ideal CCO to deliver the high-level, integrated solutions that have become Hill Holliday’s hallmark.”
At Periscope, Nicholson helped orchestrate the sale of the agency to Quad, spearheading the holding group’s transformation into a global marketing services company. Previously, Nicholson served as executive creative director for McKinney New York, where he helped develop the agency’s foothold, landing major clients like Crocs, Mentos and Samsung USA. He also served as CCO at J. Walter Thompson, Deutsch New York and Publicis New York, as well as head of creative at Redscout.
Nicholson recently partnered with Today I’m Brave, a nonprofit founded by David Angelo to direct a documentary series bringing attention to underserved youth in Sacramento and Harlem. He has also worked with emerging collectives like DADA and HNFT, collaborating with artists and technologists exploring the future of the blockchain economy.
“At this point in my career, I’m focused on leading with optimism and understanding that every day brings us opportunities to do better,” said Nicholson in a statement. “I’m lucky to have found a group of people who get that and want to deliver at a higher standard that leaves people wondering what’s next.”
Nicholson joins as Hill Holliday wraps a busy year that saw major client wins, including the recent signing of insurance marketplace The Zebra, the hiring of its new chief strategy officer Avin Narasimhan, and the opening of a 50,000 square foot headquarters in the heart of Boston’s Innovation District.