DDB Announces New Global CCO Ari Weiss

DDB Worldwide today announced that Ari Weiss has been elevated to the role of chief creative officer of DDB Worldwide, expanding his remit to include creative responsibilities of the global network.

DDB Worldwide CEO, Wendy Clark said: “As a global agency network that bears Bill Bernbach’s name and believes that creativity is the most powerful force in business, it’s critical to have leaders who constantly champion, provoke and expand creativity in all of its forms, potential and impact.

“Ari’s career is best characterized as doing just that.”

She continued: “Under his creative leadership the last 2 years, our North America region has seen a resurgence in business-impacting, award-winning work and high-caliber creative recruiting.

“I couldn’t be more excited to work together again on a global scale.”

Weiss (featured image, left) joined DDB in 2016, nearly a year after Clark was appointed North America CEO of the Omnicom network.

As part of the resurgence, Weiss has led the region to a total of 38 Lions perhaps best known for campaigns like “The Flip” for McDonald’s, where the iconic “M” arches were flipped to a “W” for International Women’s Day; and “Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical” for Mars Wrigley Confectionery.

The one-night-only show premiered on Broadway during Super Bowl Sunday in place of a TV ad during the game.

These campaigns helped secure DDB Worldwide as the No. 2 Most Creative Network of the Year at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, and the No. 1 Most Creative Network of the Year at One Show and D&AD for 2019.

Ari Weiss said: “Creativity is the most powerful force in business’ is a mantra that has long graced the hallways of Doyle Dane and Bernbach and I believe that to be truer today than ever before.

“As it gets harder and harder to stand out, we are faced with the reality that creativity is the only unfair business advantage still left to our clients.

“I see my job moving forward to champion, protect, and prove the incredible business advantage of the ideas that our thousands of brilliant creative people come up with on a daily basis.”

He added: “I see my job moving forward to champion, protect, and prove the incredible business advantage of the ideas that our thousands of brilliant creative people come up with on a daily basis.”

As Weiss’s first hire in the new role, he has named Britt Nolan as his successor and chief creative officer for DDB North America.

Britt Nolan (featured image, right), most recently served as co-president and chief creative officer of Leo Burnett U.S.

Weiss commented: “Jealousy is a powerful motivator in the creative community, and Britt Nolan has been making me jealous for many, many years.

“I’m confident in not only his ability to keep raising the bar higher in North America, but also in his ability to partner with me and our leaders across the region to continue finding the best ways to provide our clients best-in-class creative output.”

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