TBWA\C\D Confirms Hire of Norman as L.A. CCO

Fresh from his split with The Martin Agency, John Norman now faces the task of running the creative department of a key office of TBWA\Chiat\Day.

In August, Norman will start as chief creative officer of the Playa del Rey, Calif. office of TBWA\C\D, the agency confirmed this morning. Norman, 46, succeeds longtime office creative chief Rob Schwartz, also 46, who shifts to the new role of global creative president.

Schwartz, who has led the Playa del Rey creative department for five years, will now focus on global accounts such as Nissan, Visa and GSK. "Rob has been leading the creative charge on global clients such as Nissan and Visa," said TBWA CEO Tom Carroll. "His new role will let him spread his wings with more of our global accounts."  

Norman was CCO at Martin, which he joined in January 2010. Before that, he was co-executive creative director at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam. Earlier in his career, he was a cd at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

A trained art director, Norman’s brand experience ranges from Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola and Nike to Nokia, Honda and Walmart. For Coke, he helped create the first “Happiness Factory” ad, which broke in 2006 and garnered several awards, including a silver Lion at Cannes.

Carroll described Norman as a "terrific talent" and a "perfect fit for the L.A. office." 

Top accounts at TBWA\C\D’s office in California include Pepsi, Gatorade and Visa. And just this week, the shop landed a key creative assignment from Southwest Airlines. 

Historically, the Los Angeles office has been central to the global agency’s success, both creatively and business-wise. It’s also home to Lee Clow, the shop’s creative godfather and global director of media arts. Clow has stepped back in recent years, however, though he has maintained ties to key accounts, foremost among them Apple.