Ulrika Karlberg Joins Firstborn as Creative Lead on the Pepsi Account

By Patrick Coffee 

New York’s Firstborn hired Ulrika Karlberg as its newest creative director this week.

She joins the “digital design and technology company” from Droga5, where she served as copywriter on Uniqlo, Nature’s Bounty and Osteo Bi-Flex.

In the new role, she will lead the creative concepting team handling the Pepsi business, helping the soft drink giant “refine its digital presence” and increase engagement across its many, many brands from Diet Pepsi to LIFEWTR.

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PepsiCo named Firstborn as its digital agency of record late last year after our sources correctly predicted that it would be taking all of its social media work in-house. Barbarian Group had been handling both aspects of the business for several years, but Firstborn triumphed in a full review.

Karlberg is a Swedish native who graduated from the acclaimed Berghs School of Communication and started her career at Forsman&Bodenfors (which was acquired by MDC Partners last June as part of a “strategic partnership” with CP+B). She moved to New York in late 2014 to join the Droga5 team, and her work to date has earned both a Grand Prix and Gold at Cannes Lions.

Firstborn founder and CEO Michael Ferdman left the ad industry about two years ago, and president Dan LaCivita stepped up to take his place.

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