MassiveMusic North America Announces New Senior Creative Hires

MassiveMusic, the music partner for some of the leading brands in the world, has announced the appointment of Eric David Johnson as executive creative director (former executive music producer at McCann NY) and Shez Mehra as head of partnerships (former CMO at Audio Branding Inc.), in response to ongoing demands from brands and agencies for sound and music strategies. The agency is also promoting Johanna Cranitch to creative director.

An incredibly talented creative and musician (he goes by the name of DJ Bunny Ears), Eric joins the team with an impressive background, with two decades agency-side leading creative on clients such as Nike, Mastercard and National Geographic. At MassiveMusic North America, he will lead the creative department on strategies combining data and craftsmanship, working closely with both the New York and Los Angeles offices. 

Shez Mehra joins as head of partnerships at MassiveMusic. As an award-winning creative entrepreneur, founder and strategic advisor, he has enabled brands such as Four Seasons, Cadillac Fairview and Destination Toronto to strategically communicate through sound. As a leader in audio branding, entertainment and experience design, he has shared his knowledge as a guest speaker, judge and mentor with the American Marketing Association, Effie Canada, Miami Ad School, Institute of Canadian Agencies and 4 A's. 

Establishing his career in audio and sound as DJ Wristpect, he travelled the world as an open format DJ and performed at events for John Legend, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga, and also released projects with artists such as Drake and The Clipse.

He joins the team to grow the direct-to-brand business offering and drive revenue for the P&L, especially as it pertains to sonic branding. While his purview is across North America, he plans to collaborate with MassiveMusic’s wider teams and offices to foster global opportunities and wins. 

As part of the MassiveMusic North America growth, Johanna Cranitch, hired in November 2021 as associate creative director, is now being promoted to creative director. She has enjoyed commercial and film success with composing award-winning work for brands such as Macy’s, Vogue and Porsche, among others. At MassiveMusic, she leads the creative from the inception of a campaign concept to launch, helping clients hone their creative vision and spearheading musical revisions. An incredibly talented musical artist herself, she released two records and toured with bands such as The Cranberries and Nina Persson (The Cardigans).

Eric David Johnson, executive creative director, said: “What I’m most excited about is that MassiveMusic lives and breathes music and sound. I’m particularly interested in the intersection between music, brands, tech, content and culture. This deep passion and dedicated expertise really speak to my own interests and I couldn’t be more excited to join such an incredible global company and inspiring crew of people.”

Shez Mehra, head of partnerships, said, “Culture speaks and consumers listen. I’m thrilled to be joining MassiveMusic – they have a deep understanding and appreciation for that relationship. I’m looking forward to leveraging my interest in audio with a truly world-class team. As our touchpoints for culture, brand and commerce continue to evolve, the senses remain a deeply personal and universal place to reach people.”

Joanna Cranitch, creative director, said, “We have such a strong creative team! I'm most excited about continuing to spearhead creative strategy for our clients, and seeing the dynamic work we do come to life through our extensive network of composers. My favourite thing is to see my briefs come alive in the music that's created for the moving image.”