Ogilvy has announced that ANZ chief creative officer (CCO) Toby Talbot is leaving the agency after three and a half years in the role.
He is the second senior departure in a month, following Ogilvy ANZ CEO Sally Kissane.
Talbot joined Ogilvy in January 2022 to take on the inaugural role of trans-Tasman CCO, overseeing creative teams across the business and creative output in both NZ and Australia.
During his tenure, Talbot spearheaded initiatives including the launch of Return On Creativity (ROC) – an “Ogilvy exclusive” framework developed in partnership with chief strategy officer Fran Clayton.
“Toby Talbot has led a creative resurgence in ANZ. Under Talbot’s guidance, Ogilvy’s offices delivered impactful campaigns like Matildas ‘Til It’s Done, Meet Me at the Coke Sign, The Spot, and Kentucky Fly. These projects are known for their bold, culturally relevant integration of social, earned, and brand strategies,” Reed Collins, Ogilvy APAC’s chief creative officer, said.
“I want to personally thank Toby for all he’s accomplished in his time at Ogilvy. He’s been a true advocate of borderless creativity across the network, a magnet for the next generation of talent and creative leadership. And the work really does speak for itself. He leaves us in an incredibly strong creative position and I’m confident about our future,” Collins added.
“I believe advertising is a team sport. The opportunity to galvanise Ogilvy’s creative output across the whole business was what brought me back to ANZ to take on this role. It’s been an incredible journey. It’s been all-consuming, but the way Ogilvy now uses creative thinking to go way beyond the transactional approaches of old, I’m really proud of where we are today,” Talbot said.
“Now feels like the right time for me to step away. I want a new challenge. If I reflect on the work I love to do, it’s ideas that drive commercial outcomes. Or behaviour change. Or some kind of major reappraisal. These are transferable skills and I intend to put what I’ve learned to use,” Talbot added.
Before his time at Ogilvy, Talbot was CCO at DDB-owned Catorce, based in Barcelona.
Talbot will leave Ogilvy at the end of this week, leaving behind a creative leadership bench in Max McKeon, Ant Simmons, Nina East, and Bridget Jung.
