DDB Names Former McDonald’s, Chrysler Creative to Lead San Francisco Office

The San Francisco office of DDB has begun a new stage in its evolution by promoting Kevin Drew Davis to run its creative department as chief creative officer. He started the new job on July 1, and he will be completely dedicated to the San Francisco team by the end of this year.

"We're thrilled to have Kevin joining our West Coast operation," said DDB San Francisco chief executive officer Todd Grantham. "He's a proven creative leader that is as fluent in digital and social marketing as traditional media. He's the perfect fit for Bay Area clients that are looking for exponential growth and recognition."

Davis relocated to California after spending nearly two years as an executive creative director in the Omnicom network's Chicago office. While there, he was one of several creatives playing prominent roles on the McDonald's account. His best-known work for that client was 2015's "Lovin' the Super Bowl," which saw the Golden Arches' official Twitter account keeping things positive by praising the Big Game ads of other brands.

During his time in Chicago, Davis also played a key role in DDB's winning pitches for Fiat Chrysler's Alfa Romeo and Jeep brands. His previous agency titles include chief creative officer at DDB Canada, director of digital marketing at Wieden + Kennedy and executive creative director at DigitasLBi Chicago.

Davis became a digital specialist in the '90s while working at GSD&M in his native Austin, and Grantham tells Adweek that his familiarity with the tech world made him a very attractive candidate to the lead the California operation. "The San Francisco market is dominated by tech startups and companies that need brands built for them," Grantham says, adding, "The creative leaders I'm looking for have to get both sides: They need to understand tech innovation but also know how to establish brands. Kevin is a perfect solution for us in terms of where we're going next."

"What's especially fun," Davis says, "is taking some of that disruptive digital stuff and applying it to more mainstream brands; making it go both ways." To that point, DDB San Francisco's largest current clients are telecommunications giant Qualcomm and packaged food brand ConAgra.

The newly promoted creative lead will continue to handle some responsibilities related to the Fiat Chrysler accounts in Chicago for the remainder of the calendar year. He says, "One thing I've learned about DDB is that I'm never just in one office."

"We have a really strong team with three creative directors running different pieces of business," Grantham tells Adweek. "There's a constant evolution in terms of how we will make this place better."