Little Black Book Appoints Ralph (Robin) Pope to Launch Creative Studio

Above (left to right): LBB's CEO and founder, Matt Cooper, with content lead, Ralph Pope

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Little Black Book (LBB)has appointed Ralph (Robin) Pope as content lead. In the newly created role, Ralph will be launching LBB’s own creative studio, dedicated to spotlighting its members with a modern, multimedia approach.

Ralph’s experience in the industry spans three decades, beginning at Saatchi & Saatchi in the ‘90s and most recently acting as head of services at The Mill right up until its closure in February.

There, Ralph also discovered a talent for photography and became Volume Magazine’s photo editor, shooting music festivals, gigs, people, places, and film premieres. The experience opened up the opportunity to work with brands like Burberry, and in 2014, Ralph was one of six photographers to be commissioned for the Burberry Brit campaign shot on iPhone. Since then, Ralph has photographed high-profile stars like Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, and Billie Eilish, and covered all types of major creative events – including LBB’s Immortal Awards.

In each of these roles, Ralph has worked closely with LBB’s founder and CEO, Matt Cooper, first at Saatchi & Saatchi (both starting in despatch), and later helping him to run The Mill’s online advertising archive, Beam TV. Now reunited, the pair will once again collaborate on the launch of a major project: the LBB creative studio.

Beginning in the UK with plans for global expansion, LBB will now shoot video interviews in-house and illuminate what agencies, makers and brands are doing creatively through company profile films as well as written pieces. LBB will also offer BTS and even headshots for member companies.

The multi-pronged offering will give member companies the resources to showcase their business in a fresh manner, and as a result, help them to be found and screened by potential partners from its 500,000 unique monthly visitors (40% from brands and advertisers, 40% from agencies, and 20% from production and other). For readers of LBB, the development will allow them to engage in more interesting ways, elevating editorial as well as digital, social, and community content.

On his appointment, Ralph says, “Little Black Book has consistently been at the forefront of advertising journalism, and I am excited to join such a talented team. I look forward to contributing to the creation and growth of the new creative studio, where we can elevate our craft together.”

Matt comments on the news, “LBB is constantly investing in growth to benefit our members and this new move is one of the most exciting for the business yet! Ralph will help us create the content we have wanted to shoot for a LONG time, enabling members to be seen in the way that so many have been asking for. He has a very real skill with a camera and has been shooting people from inside (and outside) the industry for many years. As someone who’s been in the industry himself for decades, he not only knows many of its people, but also how every part of it works. He gets it.”

He adds, “Bringing this in-house is a real privilege for LBB. We need to be making fast, agile content that brings the brand to life in a whole new way, and we need someone we can trust to grow this new part of the business. Having known Ralph for 30 plus years in a global capacity, I have 100% faith in him and what he can do.”