Duncan Channon Promotes Melissa Ploysophon and Marty Bonacorso to New ACD Roles

San Francisco independent advertising agency Duncan Channon, a two-time Ad Age Small Agency of the Year in the West (2016 and 2017), today announced the promotion of Melissa Ploysophon and Marty Bonacorso to associate creative directors. The duo will work directly with the agency’s creative teams to identify and develop compelling creative for clients while reporting to Executive Creative Director Anne Elisco-Lemme.   

“These two couldn’t be more deserving of leadership roles in Duncan Channon’s creative department,” said Elisco-Lemme. “Marty and Melissa just see the creative idea. They intuitively know what should stay and what’s extraneous – and how to collaborate with teams to make the work the best it can be. Tellingly, younger creatives have long sought them out for mentorship.” 

“What’s more, their creative smarts are matched by their client smarts. In an industry where even seasoned creatives struggle to build empathetic relationships with clients, Marty and Melissa have a rare skill in creating trusting connections with clients,” added Elisco-Lemme.  

Since joining Duncan Channon in October 2015, Ploysophon and Bonacorso previously collaborated as senior art director and senior copywriter, respectively.  

The creative duo has led work for clients including So Delicious Dairy Free, Ebates, John Muir Health and Tahoe South. 

Most recently, Ploysophon and Bonacorso created the “Whatever It Takes” campaign for Stand Up To Cancer, which launched during the 2017 World Series. 

The duo has worked together since 2014 – first at Havas Worldwide, where they worked on the CLIO Hall of Fame “The Most Interesting Man” campaign for Heineken/Dos Equis and led the Dos-A-Rita launch featuring Sons of Anarchy’s Kim Coates.  

“I’ve loved the opportunity to have a bigger impact on the creative at Duncan Channon, having come from a large agency,” said Ploysophon. “I’m excited to help mentor our teams and continue to build the agency’s reputation for making smart work that’s entertaining.” 

“Duncan Channon is one of the most collaborative and supportive places I’ve worked, it’s like a family,” said Bonacorso. “Melissa and I weren’t trying to land a promotion, we just enjoy helping other creatives think differently about problems to make the best work possible. It’s part of the culture.”