Ten United Seeks Consistency

Shop hires Mald as chief creative to craft single ‘point of view’

Ten United, an agency built by acquisition, has enlisted Lance Mald as chief creative officer in an effort to put a more consistent stamp on its product.

Mald, 48, was formerly chief creative officer and CEO of Earle Palmer Brown in New York, where he worked from 2000-02. That shop was sold to Havas’ Arnold last year. Before that he was ecd at Campbell-Ewald’s Los Angeles office.

He takes over a post left vacant when ecd Steve Fechtor left the Columbus, Ohio-based unit of Ten Worldwide in September. Mald oversees the agency’s four offices, as did Fechtor, but has greater authority on staff issues.

Ten United was formed through the June 2000 merger of HMS Partners in Columbus, where Fechtor was ecd, and Hallmark/Tassone in Pittsburgh. The shop has two Florida offices, in Orlando and Tampa.

“Since we’ve come together with HMS, bringing the offices together as one brand has been [difficult] for us,” said shop CEO Bill Binstock. “The creative had to be more consistent across all of the offices.”

Mald, who lists a 1998 DirecTV campaign in which fans shop for NFL stars as a reel highlight, said large networks like BBDO and DDB “have a consistent point of view” across all of their offices.

“Ten United has the ability to achieve the same point of view from all of its offices,” Mald said.

Creative directors Brad Webb in Columbus and Steve Smith in Pittsburgh report to Mald.