In a move that is sure to make planners smile and creatives wince, Wieden + Kennedy Shangai have elevated Nick Barham from a planning role to co-ECD at W+K Shanghai. In the position, he will work directly alongside co-ECD Nick Cohen and the agency branch’s MD Kel Hook.
Barham, whose client portfolio includes Nike, Converse, Coca-Cola and Nokia, moved to the Chinese metropolis four years ago to take a post at TBWA. The move comes during what may be a time of relative planning dominance, depending on which side of the aisle you’re sitting on. Many creatives have used this Web site to air their qualms regarding the increased cross-over of planning/creative roles. Planners on the other hand tend to see their roles as overseeing strategy, which includes creative.
PSFK for one has begun studying planning with a program called “SPUR” (note: PSFK has been down for server repair since this morning, so that link probably won’t work We’ve written about the project here), a video interview series aiming to further develop the concept. This relatively new entrant to the field is seen by many as a waste of client money, where conversely planners say the same of some creatives. Putting Barham in such a position is proof (in part) that the fields are converging ever-rapidly.
More: “W+K Tokyo Appoints New ECDs”