Energy BBDO Hires Lara Herzer as Executive Creative Director

Energy BBDO, a creative agency based in Chicago, has added Lara Herzer to its team as executive creative director. Lara will coach and develop the next generation of creative superstars as she takes the creative lead on some of Energy BBDO’s lucrative clients, including Bayer (Bayer Asprin, Claritin, One a Day, Alka-Seltzer, Afrin, Miralax), and Kenvue (Aveeno).

She joins the team from Dentsu, where she spent the last 14 years leading genre-defying creative like Intel’s Certified Human, the five-Lion-winning Titanium-shortlisted technology that pioneers deepfake detection. She’s also supporting brands like Adobe, Jeep, Bud Light, Disney and others during her time at Dentsu.

In her over two decades of creative experience, Lara has helped build some of the most iconic brands in the world including Adobe, Jeep, Intel, Bud Light, Disney, KFC, the US Open and more. Before joining Energy BBDO, Lara was at Dentsu Creative, where she spent the last 14 years leading genre-defying creative and bringing home the industry’s biggest awards, including Cannes Lions, One Show, Gerety Awards, Clios, Webbys and Shortys. In 2024, she was named one of the 'Top 100 Creative Leaders' by Creative Pool.

Beyond creating big ideas that move the world, Lara most enjoys building teams who give a damn about the work and each other. With a background in copywriting and a love of design, Lara brings a sharp ear and eye to crafting ideas - seeing each touchpoint as an opportunity for creative excellence.

One of Lara’s key strengths is leading and rallying a diverse team toward a common goal, nurturing its thinking and challenging their perceived limitations. In her spare time, Lara can be found running in inclement weather, devouring library books and convincing her pre-schooler not to feed the toddler jagged plastic of unknown origin.

Lara is bringing her experience building long-running, powerful brand platforms while delivering creative excellence at the highest level to Energy’s team.