Orchard Appoints Dan Kenneally and Promotes Heather Larimer to Co-ECD Roles
Orchard Creative has made two significant moves within its creative department, appointing Dan Kenneally as executive creative director and promoting Heather Larimer to the same role. The pair will now lead the agency’s creative output together, reporting into chief creative officer David Kolbusz as well as founders Laura Janness and Barney Robinson.
Dan joins the New York indie with over 20 years of experience at the likes of Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5 and BBDO. He is also known for his work mentoring young creatives, having taught at New York’s School of Visual Arts for over six years and co-founding W+K’s creative incubator, The Kennedys. The programme brings in eight unconventional creatives annually for an eight-month stint working on real briefs, aimed at bolstering the agency’s output and developing talent reflective of New York’s diverse creative culture.
Heather, who joined Orchard in 2021, previously spent more than 15 years developing campaigns for brands including Apple, Target, Ocean Spray, Etsy, Twitter, ESPN and Uniqlo. She is known for creating Delta Airlines’ global tagline ‘Keep Climbing’. Before moving into advertising, she worked as a fiction writer and entered the industry via Wieden+Kennedy’s ‘12’ programme, a precursor to The Kennedys. She later joined Wieden+Kennedy New York, and worked on Apple brand and production initiatives at TBWA\Media Arts Lab.
Orchard’s chief strategic officer Laura Janness welcomed the new leadership pairing. “A huge thank you to Heather and Dan for choosing Orchard,” she said. “These two true creatives have absolutely earned that ‘E’ in ECD, showing up every single day as the kind of leaders everyone wants to get behind.”
David, who oversees the agency’s creative direction, offered his own tributes to both leaders, calling Heather “clutch” and commending her warmth, intelligence and writing talent. “Setting aside the fact that she is one of the most warm and wonderful humans I've had the pleasure of knowing in this industry of damaged souls, she is a brilliant thinker, an empathic communicator, and one of the best writers I've worked with. Her ability to turn letters on a page into tears on cheeks is unparalleled.
She's also funny, he adds. “Not in a clever, ‘smile in the mind’ kind of way (though she can trade in subtlety if need be). But in a big, dumb, all over body shaking way. She has impeccable taste in music. She is a great hang. And I’m excited to see her thrive in this role.”
David described Dan as a consistently strong creative whose work is as smart as it is culturally resonant. “The true sign of exceptional talent in this business is that great work follows them. It’s usually as simple as that. Consistently great work, made in abundance. This is true of Dan, who has had a storied and honoured career in advertising, and whose output I have admired for years,” he said.
“Not only is his body of work wildly entertaining in spite of how responsible it is, but it’s also rooted in bulletproof strategy. He has one of the most analytical minds I’ve come across for a creative (rarer still for an art director!) and matches me toe-to-toe for pedantry. Additionally, I could tell from meeting him once that he has genuine kindness in him. I have no doubt he’ll thrive at Orchard.”
Recent work from Orchard includes FanDuel’s ‘Calling All Thrillionaires’, Etsy’s ‘What It Takes’, and ‘Opening Day’, the first ever campaign for Arena Club, Derek Jeter’s online marketplace.
