Superunion, the global brand agency resulting from WPP’s combination of five consultancies and design agencies in January, hired Ross Clugston as U.S. executive creative director.
In the role, Clugston will work closely with executive directory, strategy Vincent Roffers in New York, as well as global chief creative officer Greg Quinton and will be tasked with strengthening the way Superunion’s approach to client challenges. His primary focus at Superunion will be leading a team of designers, while also driving collaboration across agency disciplines.
“It’s a massively exciting time for us as a business,” Quinton said in a statement. “Clients are asking for the best creative solutions to shape their brands and to help meet the new challenges they face. Ross is exactly the kind of creative spirit to help us achieve this, so we’re delighted that he’s joined the team.”
“Superunion is built on ‘creative optimism’,” Clugston added. “Rather than just rely on typical approaches to branding and design, our goal is to push the work beyond the boardroom and into the physical and digital realm to start thinking about how brands can create conversations with customers, employees, and general population.”
Clugston arrives at Superunion following over six and a half years at Interbrand, where he most recently served as senior creative director. At Interbrand he led teams on the agency’s Microsoft, Disney and Nissan accounts. Over the course of his career he has worked with clients including Amazon, Google, Mars Wrigley and Qualcomm.
The new hire follows the arrival of Sabah Ashraf in February as Superunion’s first CEO for North America.
“Ross is a builder and we could not be more excited that he has joined us,” Ashraf said in a statement. “I have admired his leadership style and work at his previous companies and we look forward to the impact he will make within our Superunion network, and more importantly, for our clients.”
“He brings an infectious energy to innovate and an unwavering optimism about the future and what we are building here at Superunion,” she added. “We are so excited to welcome him to our leadership team.”