New Planning Director

Media Release

FCB secures WRC Managing Director David Thomason for new Planning Director role

High profile appointment comes as FCB signals intent to build new agency model

AUCKLAND, 2 February 2007 – Full service advertising agency FCB New Zealand has appointed WRC Managing Director David Thomason to the newly created position of Planning Director.

FCB CEO Bryan Crawford comments, “The appointment of a strategist of David’s stature signals a new approach to planning within the agency. This is the first of a number of significant announcements we will be making in the coming months as we build towards a new kind of agency model.”

David Thomason says of his new role, “FCB is one of the few agencies that truly embrace the integration of media strategy with brand and creative strategies. I’m inspired by FCB’s plans for 2007 and beyond, and this new role will allow me to be one of the driving forces behind those plans.”

David Thomason has provided multi-award winning creative and strategy for some of New Zealand’s biggest brands, including the likes of Griffins, Sara Lee, GlaxoSmithKline and Lion Nathan. In a career spanning 20 years, David has been Creative Director at Advertising Works and Group Creative Head, as well as Strategic Planning Director, at Grey Worldwide. He moved to WRC in 2003 as Senior Strategic Planner, becoming Managing Director of that agency in 2006.

Bryan Crawford concludes, "We had pinpointed David as being crucial to our future plans for some time. His experience in creative and planning stretches beyond the realms of traditional advertising solutions, enhancing our ability to activate customers through a myriad of channels."

ENDS

Notes to editors

FCB New Zealand Company Backgrounder:
FCB New Zealand is one of the country’s top advertising agencies, in terms of creativity and billings*, and forms part of the FCB Worldwide network. With offices in Auckland and Wellington, the agency has an extensive list of clients in the retail, government, media and FMCG sectors, serviced by 78 full time staff. FCB is a subsidiary of the Interpublic Group of Companies, a US public listed company that also owns the Lowe Group and the Universal McCann Group.
*according to 2006 Creative and Billings index, Campaign Brief