DAVID Expands in Europe with London Office
Genevieve Gransden, Ricardo Honegger (Europe managing director and Madrid CGO), Fernando Musa, Pancho Cassis and Selma Ahmed
DAVID is bringing its bold, brave creativity to another iconic city, expanding its presence in Europe. DAVID London, the newest office in the network, will lead creative work for part of WPP's The Beauty Collective, a cross-agency team dedicated to servicing Unilever’s leading Beauty & Wellbeing brands, at launch. The opening of DAVID London marks the network's seventh global office.
As part of this new chapter, the award-winning duo Genevieve Gransden and Selma Ahmed join as executive creative directors, leading the bespoke DAVID London team. Genevieve and Selma join from BBH London, where they have served as creative directors since 2023 running Häagen-Dazs and Ribena. Prior to that, they spent over seven years creating global campaigns at adam&eveDDB for major brands, including Peloton, H&M, booking.com, EA sports' FIFA and John Lewis.
The duo's work consistently delivers on their ambition to create work that makes people feel something. They were behind the widely acclaimed 'WeThe15' campaign for the International Paralympic Committee – a global human rights movement to end discrimination for those living with disability. The work was nominated for a Sports Emmy and won two Cannes Lions for Film Craft & Sustainable Development. They were also responsible for the EA Sports' FIFA' Midnight Ramadan League' – where a real Muslim team was put into the virtual game, winning Channel 4's £1 million Diversity in Advertising Award, a Cannes Entertainment Lion for Sport, and many others.
DAVID, which is a part of Ogilvy's creative network, now has seven offices worldwide: New York, Miami, Madrid, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, and London.
Fernando Musa, founder, partner and chairman, said, “At DAVID, our growth has always been driven by two key elements: meaningful business opportunities and outstanding talent. With the launch of DAVID London, we’ve found both again - and couldn’t miss the chance to plant our flag in one of the world’s most iconic creative cities.”
Pancho Cassis, partner and global chief creative officer at DAVID, said, "Our name says it all - DAVID was built on a human-first mindset. It's in our DNA. We create work that feels human because it is human. Work you can connect with, work that matters and lasts. And Gen and Selma will help carry that legacy forward, driving growth for our clients with creativity rooted in humanity.”
Genevieve Gransden and Selma Ahmed, said, "DAVID thrives on craft, culture, and a touch of rebellion – which is very fitting with the spirit of London. So, it’s very exciting – and humbling for us to open DAVID's first office in the UK", says Gen. Selma completes: "We can't wait to build a team that shakes things up a little (or a lot) – taking advantage of this time in the industry to create game-changing work, at scale."
Ebla Salvi, global client lead for WPP's The Beauty Collective, said, "The launch of DAVID London, spearheaded by the exceptional talent of Gen and Selma, signifies a pivotal moment. Their creative leadership, combined with the collaborative power of WPP, will undoubtedly unlock ground breaking, culture-shaping narratives for Unilever's iconic beauty brands, driving even greater connection with consumers."
