Special Hires Group Creative Directors

Special has announced the appointments of highly-experienced creative talents Zoë Hawkins and Russel Fox as group creative directors. They’ll work across the full spectrum of Special's clients and be charged with helping to develop and mentor the younger teams, plus continually push Special’s creative standard.

The duo brings a strong mix of global and local expertise to Special’s creative leadership, with Zoë having spent over a decade working in leading agencies across four continents, and Russel a long-established, award-winning creative leader in the Australian industry.

Zoë’s 15+ years of making big ideas happen includes creative storytelling for brands like Nike, Mini UK, Levi’s, Heineken, and booking.com at international agencies including Wieden+Kennedy, BBC Creative, and AKQA.

After beginning her creative career at DDB Sydney and Colenso BBDO in Auckland, she took flight, embarking on an expansive global career working in London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Shanghai, and the US.

A sought-after freelance talent, Zoë also spent five years working on projects for Parfums Christian Dior, as well as launching a sports apparel brand, writing for an immersive theatre company and a stint creating an RPG game. Her work for Nike while at Wieden+Kennedy Portland also won three Bronze Lions.

Russel has made work that’s launched platforms, changed perceptions, and occasionally upset lawyers during a 20-year career.

He joins Special from seven years as a creative director at M+C Saatchi Australia. Prior to that, he spent six years as a senior art director with Clemenger BBDO, where he started his career as an art director in 2005.

After his non-traditional work for the likes of Yellow Pages and Carlton’s Mid caught the attention of the BBDO New York team, Russel spent two years in the US working on global brands including Guinness, Starbucks, and Pepsi.

Returning to Australia in 2012, he spent six years as senior art director with Clemenger BBDO before joining M+C Saatchi.

Executive creative director at Special Melbourne, Ryan Fitzgerald, said, “Zoë and Russel are both from amazing creative pedigree and have proven their talents locally and internationally. Above all, they’re great people who go the right way about creating outstanding work. We’re super excited to have them here to deepen our talent pool, create extraordinary ideas and stir up my imposter syndrome.”

Zoë added, “Special feels exciting, like we’re on the edge of something, with so much more to come. Everyone here is full of passion, strives for creative excellence, and believes ideas come first and egos come last. That’s my kind of place."

Russel said, “Joining Special feels like stepping onto a fast-moving train. Except everyone on board is surprisingly calm, weirdly good at their job, and still trying to go faster. I’m here for it.”