Minneapolis agency Periscope has appointed two new leaders to help elevate design excellence, increase operational efficiencies and advance client relationships.
Annette Fonte has been named senior vice president, business and brand leadership, while Veronica Padilla joins as vice president, head of design.
Fonte will focus on advancing the agency’s client partnerships, overseeing integrated marketing and cross-cultural engagement for a broad portfolio of brands including UnitedHealthcare, Bellisio, Minnesota Lottery, PEMCO and others. Fonte’s role will be to dig deep to understand the agency’s client business, uncover opportunities to build brands and deliver excellent service support.
“I was taken in by Periscope’s amazing team and mission to partner with clients and deliver beautiful work that drives brand growth,” said Fonte in a statement. “For midsized brands in particular that are seeking to break out and are challenged by the number of agencies on their rosters, Periscope has an unmatched toolkit from brand identity and strategic insights to integrated brand engagement that truly surrounds consumers from digital to retail.”
Fonte has held roles at Leo Burnett and FCB Chicago, working with brands including Coca-Cola, Molson Coors and Purina. Her past agency work has been recognized by the Effies, Clios, D&AD, The One Show and Cannes Lions. She most recently served as evp, managing director at VMLY&R for the past six years.
Padilla’s role is a new one for the agency and reinforces the evolution of Periscope’s design practice, Favorite Child, which launched in July 2022 to help brands become industry favorites through the power of design. As the agency continues to refine its design offering, Padilla has been tasked with expanding the creative output and work to make Favorite Child a category “favorite” in design circles.
“I was hooked by the name ‘Favorite Child,’ then drawn in by the Reverse RFP because I love work with a higher purpose. As soon as I met the people, I was sold—genuine, kind and excited to do great work with a bend toward social good,” said Padilla in a statement.
Bringing a wealth of design expertise from renowned shops like Havas Chicago, Droga5, Mekanism, Mullen, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Padilla’s work has been recognized by awards programs like D&AD, Cannes Lions, One Show, Andys and Clios. Her previous clients include a wide range of household names, from Google and Starbucks to the White House and Yellowstone National Park, among others.
Both hires come on the heels of Periscope’s updated mission to “See beyond the expected to build brands and impact communities in inventive ways.”
“Annette and Veronica are both strong leaders and great people with the talent and experience to continue developing our product, driving growth and helping us show up in the marketplace in a way that reflects our true scale as part of [global marketing experience company] Quad,” said Periscope president Cari Bucci-Hulings in a statement.