Wunderman has appointed two new Group Creative Directors at its office in New York to expand its creative offering in said market.
Wunderman has named Kat Gates and Jeffrey Castellano Group Creative Directors at its New York office. Reporting directly to CCO, Sami Thessman, they will oversee day-to-day creative strategy for the agency’s clients, including Danone, United Airlines, Coca-Cola, and Isle of Capri, among others.
The hires are part of Thessman’s plan to expand the group’s creative offering in said market. Arriving from Facebook and Google, where both served as creative directors, the pair was recruited specifically for their expertise in mobile and experiential marketing, digital, data, and UX.
In her previous role, Gates managed the development of digital brand experiences for Facebook and played a key role in the rebrand of Facebook for Business. A savvy brand strategist with extensive global experience, she also served as a regional creative director for Pampers and Iams at Saatchi & Saatchi in Germany.
Meanwhile, Castellano was responsible for interactive experiences, product design, and branding for Google. He was once Director of Creative Technology at JWT in New York, where he managed its digital creative studio multidisciplinary teams in UX, technology, and production for Rolex, J&J, Energizer, and Nestle.
“Kat and Jeffrey both have a deep understanding of social media, mobile UX and technology and are motivated by big, insight-driven ideas. These qualities are very much aligned with the future of Wunderman and our industry generally,” said Sami Thessman, Chief Creative Officer at Wunderman.
