Zulu Alpha Kilo, a Canadian agency with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, is expanding southward into the U.S. with a new office in New York City and a new partner and CCO in longtime Droga5 creative Tim Gordon.
Zulu Alpha Kilo founder and CCO Zak Mroueh said he took over a year to search for the right person for the job before landing on Gordon, a 14-year Droga5 veteran and co-CCO.
“Tim is one of the world’s top creative minds, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s found his home at Zulu. He’s the absolute real deal with an understanding of how to build great brands and create brilliant work with strategic substance. I am so thrilled and excited to partner with him and build something amazing,” said Mroueh in a statement.
As a partner and chief creative officer at Zulu Alpha Kilo, Gordon is tasked with building the New York office from the ground up with the support of Mroueh and president and CEO Mike Sutton.
“Over the past six years, there have been dozens of U.S. opportunities we’ve had to turn down because we didn’t have a U.S. office. Problem solved,” added Sutton in a statement.
Gordon began his career as one of the first 40 Droga5 NYC employees, starting as a writer back in 2008 and helping to grow the agency during its formative years. Droga5 became a part of Accenture Interactive, now Accenture Song, in 2019.
During his long stint at Droga5, Gordon worked with top brands, including Coke Zero, The New York Times, American Express Travel, Clearasil, AirWick, Motorola, Harry’s, Under Armour, Chase, Mattress Firm, Paramount+ and Reform Alliance.
His work has received numerous accolades, including for the Puma After Hours Athlete and Vesta, which garnered a Grand Prix at Cannes and One Show’s inaugural Green Pencil. Under Armour’s Michael Phelps film earned Gordon his second Grand Prix at Cannes and was named Ad of the Year by Adweek. Gordon was also the driving force behind The New York Times’ campaign, “The Truth is Hard.”
Zulu Alpha Kilo has grown steadily since its founding in 2008, having won work from brands including Audi, Bell Canada, Coca-Cola, Google, Harley-Davidson, Subaru and Uber, among others. It also invested early in its own production studio, Zulubot, which features a full recording studio, eight editing suites and its own roster of directors and editors.
Most recently, the agency won six Cannes Lions including Gold for Pfaff Harley-Davidson’s “Tough Turban,” a campaign where Zulu designed a turban for Sikh motorcyclists made from a fabric that can be folded like traditional Sikh headwear, but which hardens on impact.
“I was really struck by the work, irreverence and founding philosophy of Zulu Alpha Kilo,” said Gordon in a statement. “Zak and I share the same creative values and strong belief that everything should be about the quality of work we put out into the world. I’m excited to help build the agency and achieve the founding vision of becoming the world’s number one creative company.”