Hal Riney Names Production Chief

LOS ANGELES David Verhoef has joined Publicis & Hal Riney as director of integrated production.

Verhoef said he was mainly motivated to join the agency based on his long friendship with Riney’s chief creative officer, Roger Camp. “He’s an old buddy of mine and I’d go anywhere to work with him,” said Verhoef. “So I guess you could say as [DDB CCO] Lee Garfinkel has [head of production] Bob Nelson, Roger has me. We even have the same twisted sense of humor.”

He had been at neighboring San Francisco shop DDB, serving as director of broadcast production.

Among the best-known examples of Camp and Verhoef’s work is a spot for Outpost.com in which gerbils are apparently shot from a cannon at a brick-wall target.

“David is a fantastic talent who I first worked with at Cliff Freeman and then again at my shop, Camp Arbues, so I was excited by the chance to bring him to Riney,” said Camp in a statement. “He brings an incredible body of both traditional and nontraditional work that will enhance this team.”

Verhoef started at TBWA\Chiat\Day and his career includes stints as director of broadcast at Cliff Freeman and Partners, New York, and years of freelancing for San Francisco-area shops.

At Riney, Verhoef will lead the integrated production group, supervising broadcast, interactive and digital productions. “I want to help rebuild this place,” Verhoef said. “Roger calls it a two-year-old agency with an amazing pedigree. It will be fun.”

Riney’s clients include the newly won U.S. Cellular, Pinnacle Foods (including Hungry Man and Vlasic), Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Wellpoint) and the American Automobile Association.