Ogilvy PR & Ogilvy Health Announce New Creative Leadership

Ogilvy Network ANZ companies Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health this week announce two new key creative appointments, as the network continues to invest in dedicated creative expertise and leadership across its broad capability mix.

Effective immediately, Miriam Wells has been promoted to chief creative officer, Ogilvy PR, to drive creative output and innovative solution development for its outstanding client stable.  Previously Head of Creative, she will also play a pivotal role in Ogilvy PR’s highly successful ‘Earned Creativity’ mantra – an integrated, earned-led approach to ideas across social, influencer marketing and earned-generating advertising.

Miriam Wells

Joining Wells is Nina East (lead image), who starts in the newly created role of group creative director, Ogilvy Health.  East will work across Ogilvy Health’s integrated advertising, medical education, public relations, public affairs and health experience offer, to deliver patient-centric creative ideas that deliver health solutions, education and patient advocacy.  She was most recently Group Creative Director at Ogilvy New Zealand.

CEO of Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health Richard Brett said the creative leadership expansion was further evidence of the agency’s commitment to creative excellence and innovative thinking, and the development of specialisations within its consulting strategy and structure that was launched in 2021.

“We’ve brought new ambition to the creativity of the Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health businesses over the past few years, and it’s an approach that has resulted in innovative work and effective results for our entire client base,” he said. “It has also led to the strong development of creative thinking at all levels, and we’re proud to utilise the creative smarts already within our network for these positions.  There’s incredible depth and an array of unique experience within the Ogilvy Network, and we’re excited to have both Miriam and Nina add their expertise in new ways, while still providing them with opportunities to further develop their passion and specialisations.”

Brett said Wells has been an integral part of the agency since 2016 and has “consistently demonstrated her natural ability to bring out the best in teams and projects across all areas of the business”.

“Over the past few years, Miriam has specialised in earned creativity, and her exceptional skills have made a significant impact on the agency,” he said. In her new role as CCO she will lead a team of dedicated creatives in Ogilvy PR, working closely with Liana Rossi (head of culture and influence), Cody Desmond (culture editor), and Dom O’Connell (design director) to develop earned-led integrated campaigns for Ogilvy PR.

East has a diverse background working in media, advertising, and experiential sectors. She has delivered award winning global campaigns for some of the world’s most loved brands. East started out as Creative at MTV Europe before moving into the advertising world working for Viacom International. Since returning to New Zealand, East has worked for leading agencies Copper, Wunderman Thompson and most recently, Ogilvy New Zealand where she has been for the past two years, applying her non-traditional approach to ideas and creativity. East will lead the growing Ogilvy Health creative team driving earned creativity in health PR, and innovative solutions across digital experience, medical education, and health advertising.

“As we look to develop new-generation leadership, it is important to have creative approaches that are built from varied experiences and backgrounds,” Brett continued.  “Both Miriam and Nina bring fresh perspectives and new ways of thinking that will continue to provide innovative consultancy solutions.”

The Ogilvy Network ANZ has significantly bolstered its creative bench in recent times; it recently announced that international talent Clark Edwards would join Bridget Jung in a newly developed joint Ogilvy Sydney ECD role (Jung will continue to oversee creative direction of Ogilvy PR and Ogilvy Health) while award winning creative and author Hilary Badger was hired as Ogilvy Melbourne’s new ECD in January. Kristal Knight also joined Ogilvy New Zealand as ECD in February 2022, shortly after Toby Talbot was announced as the network’s chief creative officer.

Talbot said the Ogilvy AUNZ network’s creative leadership was now “unparalleled in its depth of diverse talent and innovative thinking”.

“We’ve invested significant time and effort finding the right creative leaders who not only play well together but also understand the power of borderless creativity right across our capability ecosystem.

“Whether it’s PR, health, brand, CX, digital or consulting, we can apply creative thinking to any client brief, any brand or any issue that requires a shift in behaviour.  I’m incredibly proud of my new ECD team. And stoked to add two incredible specialists in Miriam and Nina to complete the offering. There’s literally nothing we can’t do together.”