Droga5 has appointed Pelle Sjoenell as its new worldwide chief creative officer, with Accenture Song CEO David Droga said he had admired Sjoenell’s work for years but hadn’t been able to get him on board — until now.
Sjoenell became Activision Blizzard’s first chief creative officer in 2019 but has now departed for his new gig with the agency founded by the Aussie ad legend. Droga5’s previous global CCO was Neil Heymann, who is now the global CCO at Accenture Song.
His previous role saw him drive marketing innovation and creativity across some of the world’s biggest gaming brands such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch and Candy Crush. In fact, under his tutelage, Activision Blizzard’s creative efforts received a record number of awards, surpassing all its previous years combined, for award-winning campaigns including Heinz’s “Hidden Spots” in collaboration with Call of Duty, “Veteruns” for The Call of Duty Endowment, and “Scratch Boards” for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2.
“I knew that when I left to go client side, I had unfinished business in the agency world, so to be asked back in by David Droga himself to take care of the agency with his name on it is such an honor–and a unique opportunity to apply my learnings,” said Sjoenell.
“Droga5 and Accenture Song’s combined offering is a paradigm shift for our industry. Joining this creative powerhouse with its global network of exceptional talent and clients is a thrilling opportunity to dig back into shaping the future of our industry. I have admired Droga5 since David opened its doors and I’m thrilled to work with all the stellar teams and clients around the world.”
Prior to joining Activision Blizzard, Sjoenell served as worldwide CCO at BBH overseeing the agency’s efforts across its seven offices in Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, L.A., NY, London and Stockholm on behalf of brands including Google, Nike, Samsung, Audi, E! and T- Mobile.
He also founded the BBH LA office and spearheaded the agency’s branded entertainment and earned media strategic initiatives, including the launch of BBH’s joint venture with entertainment talent mogul Scooter Braun called The Creative Studio.
Under Sjoenell’s leadership, BBH won over 30 Cannes Lions, including two Cannes Grand Prix Lions for House of Cards’ “FU 2016” with BBH New York, and Axe’s “Excite” with BBH London. As jury president in 2009, Droga personally handed Sjoenell the Titanium Lion for “Dig Out Your Soul,” created for Oasis and NYC & Co.
“I have long admired Pelle across different geographies and companies,” said David Droga.
“In fact, I have tried to hire him on many occasions. He is a true client problem solver and has the tech experience and humility that only the very best creative leaders possess. I feel spoilt by the creative leadership across all our offices and look forward to adding his immense talent and character to the Droga5 family.”
Sjoenell is responsible in his new role for driving a future-forward vision for Droga5 globally, one that plays off the intersection of creativity and technology, and one that is very connected to the creative vision at Accenture Song. He will be based in the US.
“While each office has fantastic CCOs, I really needed to have someone who helps bring them all together and makes sure there’s a united push there and has the privilege of not being held hostage by one of the environments, even though they’re all crucial,” Droga told Ad Age. “There’s a nuanced difference between what’s going on in Tokyo versus New York and Brazil.”
“The only agency model of the future is one that can change,” said Sjoenell. “That’s what I always was excited about.”
“Our brief to him is not to rekindle anything from the past,” added Droga. “I just want us to be a massively contributing part of where this industry goes. And my desire for us to be the most influential creative company in the world hasn’t changed since day one of Droga5, and to be influential, you have to evolve.”
