Match Marketing Group Taps Matt Horton and Dexter Black as Creative Directors

Match Marketing Group has announced the appointment of two creative directors, Matt Horton and Dexter Black, who will join the agency’s growing creative department across integrated and experiential, respectively. Reporting to Eric Moncaleano, ECD, Matt and Dexter will collaborate with client services, strategy and leadership teams to deliver superior creative that drives business results.

“We are thrilled to have Matt and Dexter on board,” said Eric. “Matt is a strategic creative with an impressive copywriting background. Dexter is passionate about all things experiential and uses his cosmopolitan views and cultural awareness to develop deep connections between brands and people. I believe their leadership skills and team collaboration will add tremendous depth to the agency and be a valuable resource to guide us forward.”

Matt joins the agency as creative director, integrated - a new role that will oversee the agency’s integrated creative team. Responsibilities include providing copy expertise and brand stewardship across integrated and shopper marketing clients, which include OZO plant-based protein, Fuji Film, Dreyer’s, Scotties, Ford, Near East and more.

Matt brings years of experience having worked at large agencies and creative boutiques across a number of blue-chip brands and industries. Most recently, he was ECD at Weber Shandwick where he established the PR agency’s first-ever creative department and grew it to major success. Throughout his career he has worked on brands ranging from Nintendo, KFC, Subaru, SC Johnson, Kellogg’s, O’Charley’s and more. He got his start at FCB Global and went on to work at top agencies including J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, McCann, Leo Burnett and Carmichael Lynch. 

“I’m excited to be a part of a team that understands the connection between audience motivations and cultural movements." commented Matt. "I look forward to fostering a creatively driven work environment that becomes a nimble, breakthrough idea generator."

As creative director, experiential, Dexter will lead the experiential creative team and oversee creative work for clients including Ford, Adidas, BRP, Progressive Insurance, The Lincoln Motor Company and Dave’s Killer Bread, to name a few.

Prior to Match, Dexter was CD, experiential at Civic Entertainment Group where he developed creative solutions in the form of environmental design, consumer journey, activations, social integration and installations for clients such as Ford, Verizon, McDonalds, Google, Comcast NBC, among others. Before that, he held CD roles for experiential at MAS Event Design and Factory 360. Earlier in his career, Dexter ran his own studio, Dex Dexign Studio, where he provided design services and creative direction including branding, graphic design, illustration and photography.

Dexter commented on his new role: “As the experiential business continues to shift and brands are looking for new ways to create more profound connected experiences with people, I’m excited to apply my design-driven aesthetic to the work while helping our talented team create high quality experiences that make an impact.”

The hires follow Match Marketing Group’s creative leadership announcement in May with the appointment of Eric as ECD and Gary Westgate as VP, creative.