Saatchi & Saatchi Australia today announced Mandie van der Merwe and Avish Gordhan, the multi-award-winning creative duo, as the agency’s new joint chief creative officers.
Lead image L-R: L to R: Dave Bowman, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe ANZ; Patrick Rowe, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Australia; Mandie van der Merwe; Avish Gordhan.
The pair had joined dentsu Creative as the shop’s first chief creative officers in August last year.
On their appointment, Dave Bowman, chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe ANZ, said: “I am beyond excited to be able to bring Mandie and Avish onboard to lead Saatchi & Saatchi’s creative offering. With their unique people skills, strategic prowess, and creative firepower, I can’t wait to see what these two amazingly talented new-world creatives make possible at the intersection of storytelling, data, technology and media.”
Gordhan and van der Merwe, who have been creative partners for 20 years, have honed their craft across three continents, with their work recognised over 300 times at the biggest award shows in the industry, including D&AD, Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clios and Spikes.
Patrick Rowe, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, said: “Dave and I wanted to double down on creativity at Saatchi & Saatchi, so approaching Mandie and Avish just made sense. Why get one Chief Creative Officer when you can get two with an awards list as long as your arm? More importantly, they understand the role creative thinking plays in a new integrated world and will be a driving force for change. We couldn’t be more excited that they’re joining our team.”
Speaking on her new role, Mandie van der Merwe said: “When Saatchi & Saatchi come knocking, you answer. And when the person knocking is Dave Bowman, you take out the fancy biscuits. Between Pat and the team, there is an infectious passion for creativity that is hard to ignore.”
Avish Gordhan added: “This is an agency brand with a storied history and incredible work, locally and globally. The opportunity to be part of that is both humbling and exciting. We love bringing ideas and storytelling together in new ways with media, tech and data. And it makes me itchy with anticipation thinking about how we can do that with this team.”
