Global digital agency Wunderman expanded its creative department with the arrival of group creative directors Kat Gates and Jeffrey Castellano to its flagship New York office.
Gates and Castellano will be tasked with overseeing creative strategy for a client roster that includes Coca-Cola, United Airlines, Danone, E-Trade and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). They will report directly to chief creative officer Sami Thessman, who joined the agency from Havas last April.
“Kat and Jeffrey both have a deep understanding of social media, mobile UX and technology and are motivated by big, insight-driven ideas,” Thessman said in a statement. “These qualities are very much aligned with the future of Wunderman and our industry generally.”
Gates arrives at Wunderman from Facebook, where she has served as creative lead since August of 2015, following nearly a year as a global creative director with Leo Burnett, where she was part of the team behind the “Like A Girl” campaign for Always. Prior to that she served as a creative director with Publicis for over five and a half years and also previously spent time as a regional creative director for Pampers and Iams at Saatchi & Saatchi in Germany.
Castellano joins the agency from Google, where he has served as a creative director since March of 2015, following two years as director of creative technology at JWT New York, where he worked with clients including Nestle, Rolex, J&J and Energizer. Prior to that he spent a year in the same position at Bajibot.
“Wunderman excels at delivering creative ideas and strategies fueled by data and I’m excited to help this team develop the kind of meaningful experiences that drive our clients’ businesses forward,” Castellano said in a statement.
“My passion is helping brands create deeper relationships with their customers,” Gates added. “Wunderman in uniquely able to educate and inspire brands about their consumers and then bring them to life on the platforms that make the most sense for their audience. I’m excited to help further their data-driven approach.”