DDB Sydney has signed on Graham Sweet (pictured right) and Dom Hickey (left) as planning partners to reinforce its strong strategic offering.

Graham Sweet joins DDB from Bohemia Group where he held the position of strategy director, while Dom Hickey joins from Wunderman and more recently Wunderman-Bienalto where she was strategic head for the past two years.

DDB Sydney chief strategy officer, Fran Clayton, said, “We are delighted to welcome Graham and Dom to the Sydney strategy team.

“Dom’s extensive integrated experience and Graham’s design thinking and brand strategy background will prove an invaluable addition to both our clients and agency – even if Graham does support the Springboks (we will forgive him).

“Hiring for attitude is everything. It goes without saying that both Dom and Graham are talented and experienced strategists, but it is their EQ that sets them apart and makes them true DDBers.

“As an agency we’re at a pivotal stage. We received 12 Lions at Cannes this year and also have six Effie finalists, and most of these for our largest clients. The challenge now is to keep the momentum going and lift the bar once again, so this is the right time for us to bolster our strategic firepower.”

On his appointment, Sweet said, “DDB has a rich heritage, as one of the original advertising behemoths, and I’ve always been a fan of Bernbach’s work.

“From the brutal simplicity of the VW ‘Think Small’ piece to the insightful ‘We try harder’ positioning for Avis. But having a glorious past only gets you so far. DDB feels poised for an even brighter future and being a part of that is a great opportunity.

 “I’m at the point of my career where I don’t want to add noise to people’s lives. Advertising for advertising sake doesn’t add any value to people’s lives. In today’s hyper connected world I believe that brands have (more than ever) the opportunity and responsibility to do more: Actions that build real connection with people vs. speaking at people.”

Hickey added, “I’m excited to join an agency that truly believes that a brilliant, evocative idea can influence real change and create real connections. This is an ethos that shows in the incredible standard of work coming from the agency across all clients.

“DDB has invested deeply in their strategic offering making the calibre of their planning department unmatched in Australia, it’s an exciting time to join theteam.”

DDB Sydney managing director, Nicole Taylo,r said, “After a strong year at Cannes, including a highly coveted Creative Effectiveness Lion and Ben Welsh commencing next week as CCO – it is a truly exciting time for DDB Sydney.

“We are creating some of the globe’s most innovative and creative work. Our strategic and creative departments are second to none. Graham and Dom join at a great time and we are delighted to add their talents to the diverse mix that is DDB Group Sydney.”