Todd McCracken returns to New Zealand to take joint executive creative director role at Contagion

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Todd-McCracken_Ogilvy-new.jpgAwarded Kiwi-born creative Todd McCracken has returned to New Zealand to take the joint executive creative director role at Contagion, Auckland.

Most recently McCracken was Regional Executive Creative Director for Commonwealth// McCann’s Asia Pacific operations, based in Bangkok, joining in 2015 from the CCO role at Ogilvy & Mather Vietnam. Commonwealth// McCann is the agency that serves as the global advertising agency of record for the General Motors Chevrolet brand.

Originally from New Zealand, McCracken has worked in Asia Pacific for 15 years. Before Ogilvy Vietnam, where he had a five year stint, he spent three years as Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy Singapore. Prior to joining Ogilvy in 2007, McCracken was Regional Creative Director at Grey based in Singapore.

At Contagion McCracken will share creative responsibilities with founder and joint-executive creative director Bridget Taylor.

Says Taylor: “If Steve Jobs and Neil French had a love child, Todd would be the result. He is an extraordinary mix of business smarts and creative brilliance. His portfolio is like a ‘Best of D&AD’ annual. Somehow he also found time to be the co-author of ‘The Deck of Brilliance’, an idea creation tool that has become renowned globally with marketers and creatives alike. Being a kiwi through and through, he’s incredibly humble, preferring to shine the light on his clients and staff, rather than himself.”

Adds Contagion chief executive Dean Taylor: “We’ve been bolstering the agency over the last year with incredible talent in planning, media and account service,” he says. “Todd joining as creative partner is the last piece of a very robust puzzle. In a few short weeks, he’s already added enormous value to our clients.”