DDB New York Appoints Longtime Duo to Lead Creative

DDB New York announced today the appointment of Lisa Topol and Derek Barnes as Co-Chief Creative Officers, effective March 2018. The team will be responsible for leading the agency’s creative department across a range of clients including Unilever, PepsiCo, Henkel, J&J, Merck, Tribeca Enterprises, Mars, and Cotton Inc. The pair will report to Ari Weiss, Chief Creative Officer of DDB North America.  

Weiss commented, “Lisa and Derek have had careers that would make any creative jealous. To have one creative leader of their calibre is a blessing. To have them both feels like cheating.”

Before joining DDB New York, Topol and Barnes spent four years at Grey working across multiple clients such as NFL, TNT Networks, Best Buy and Bose. Both as a team and individually, they’ve been recognised at Cannes, One Show, D&AD, Clios and Effies. Having met at Wieden + Kennedy, New York, while working on Nike, Jordan and ESPN, they found that working together amplified and complemented both their creativity and their business acumen.

Chris Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer of DDB New York, stated, “This is really exciting news for us all at DDB NY. They have a great track record of success, are strong collaborators, and understand the modern creative landscape. We’re delighted they are bringing their creativity, passion and energy to the agency.”

Named one of the top 30 creative women in advertising by Business Insider, Topol has an impressive resume, with leadership creative experience at several top agencies. In addition to Grey, Wieden and Oglivy, she spent three years as GCD at TBWA\Chiat\Day, where she led the creative teams on several brands, including the teams that produced Gold Lion-winning work on Wheat Thins and Keep a Child Alive. She also wouldn’t say no to a good tampon campaign, and changed the game with her ideas for U by Kotex at JWT.

Prior to teaming up with Topol in 2013 at Grey Group, Barnes was Creative Director at Anomaly on the global Budweiser account. In his previous years at Wieden + Kennedy in both Portland and New York, he worked as a creative director on ESPN and Brand Jordan and on some of the world’s most highly recognised brands, including Nike, Miller beer and Diet Coke.

Topol said, “Coming to DDB is a no-brainer when you look at the incredible team you’ll have by your side.  You can try to genetically modify all you want, but creativity is in the DNA or it isn’t. And here, it’s pouring out of every surface, every conversation and even out of that slightly crooked painting of Bernbach on the wall.” 

Barnes added, “In our years together, Lisa and I have not only learned how to amplify our partnership, but we’ve learned how to spot other great partnerships as well. Thirty seconds after sitting with Wendy, Ari, Eric and Chris we knew instantly that these four are in sync, on a mission and rapidly transforming the network. And they’re pretty good at finishing each other’s sentences, too.”

In 2017 DDB New York won six out of nine new business pitches, including Persil, All and Amgen, among others; and took home six Cannes Lions for GunxGun and Wildlife Conservation Film Festival.