Droga5 Names Rick Dodds and Steve Howell Executive Creative Directors
Today, Droga5 announced the promotions of two key creatives to leaders of its London office. Creative Directors Rick Dodds and Steve Howell will assume the roles of Executive Creative Directors, reporting to Chief Creative Officer David Kolbusz, effective immediately.
Dodds and Howell have been creative partners for nearly 13 years, having first teamed up at Buckinghamshire New University before beginning their professional careers together at Saatchi & Saatchi London. There, they worked for a number of clients, including Guinness, Visa and Weight Watchers, most notably creating T-Mobile’s “Dance,” “Sing-Along” and “Welcome Back (Heathrow)” campaigns. During their first tenure in London, Dodds and Howell won 15 Cannes Lions as well as the BTAA Grand Prix two consecutive years in a row in 2010 and 2011.
Seven years at Saatchi & Saatchi led to Dodds and Howell joining Droga5 New York in 2012 as Art Director and Copywriter, respectively. The pair created remarkable campaigns for brands such as PUMA, Under Armour, NRG, NYCFC and Strongbow Hard Cider, resulting in quickly being appointed Creative Directors in 2013.
Following what was supposed to only be a brief stint at Droga5 London, Dodds and Howell have decided to make a permanent move to their native England to work across the agency’s client roster and new business initiatives. The creative duo has most recently produced work for Hobbs’s “Make an Understatement” campaign, and they are currently creating work for Vita Coco, Radox, Impulse, Belstaff and Rustlers.
"Rick and Steve's Droga5 London adventure has been a modern day version of Gilligan's Island. They came for a short stay and now there's no escape. We all feel blessed that they've decided to uproot their lives and come with us on this journey,” said Chief Creative Officer David Kolbusz. “They are modern day leaders—the perfect mix of suit, planner and creative—and their talent is enormous."
"What’s been incredible about our four years at Droga5 New York is how the agency has grown with ambitious clients, brave work and a lovely team of people who work hard for each other,” said Rick Dodds. “If there’s one thing we’d like to emulate about Droga5 in London, it’s how we grow with ambitious clients, brave work and a lovely team of people.”
“Not many people get the chance to help run a creative department in London. And even fewer get the chance to run one with the name Droga5 above the door,” said Steve Howell. “We know how lucky we are and recognize the incredible responsibility and opportunity we have to make this agency as great as we know it can be.”
Dodds and Howell have been creative partners for nearly 13 years, having first teamed up at Buckinghamshire New University before beginning their professional careers together at Saatchi & Saatchi London. There, they worked for a number of clients, including Guinness, Visa and Weight Watchers, most notably creating T-Mobile’s “Dance,” “Sing-Along” and “Welcome Back (Heathrow)” campaigns. During their first tenure in London, Dodds and Howell won 15 Cannes Lions as well as the BTAA Grand Prix two consecutive years in a row in 2010 and 2011.
Seven years at Saatchi & Saatchi led to Dodds and Howell joining Droga5 New York in 2012 as Art Director and Copywriter, respectively. The pair created remarkable campaigns for brands such as PUMA, Under Armour, NRG, NYCFC and Strongbow Hard Cider, resulting in quickly being appointed Creative Directors in 2013.
Following what was supposed to only be a brief stint at Droga5 London, Dodds and Howell have decided to make a permanent move to their native England to work across the agency’s client roster and new business initiatives. The creative duo has most recently produced work for Hobbs’s “Make an Understatement” campaign, and they are currently creating work for Vita Coco, Radox, Impulse, Belstaff and Rustlers.
"Rick and Steve's Droga5 London adventure has been a modern day version of Gilligan's Island. They came for a short stay and now there's no escape. We all feel blessed that they've decided to uproot their lives and come with us on this journey,” said Chief Creative Officer David Kolbusz. “They are modern day leaders—the perfect mix of suit, planner and creative—and their talent is enormous."
"What’s been incredible about our four years at Droga5 New York is how the agency has grown with ambitious clients, brave work and a lovely team of people who work hard for each other,” said Rick Dodds. “If there’s one thing we’d like to emulate about Droga5 in London, it’s how we grow with ambitious clients, brave work and a lovely team of people.”
“Not many people get the chance to help run a creative department in London. And even fewer get the chance to run one with the name Droga5 above the door,” said Steve Howell. “We know how lucky we are and recognize the incredible responsibility and opportunity we have to make this agency as great as we know it can be.”
