Following weeks of global speculation, today sees the appointment of New York creative duo Dave Canning and Dan Treichel to 180 Amsterdam in the position of co-executive creative directors. The hire of the most awarded US creative team in 2014 comes on the back of the agency’s recent high profile work for global brands such as asics, Qatar Airways, PlayStation, DHL and REPLAY.
The creative duo comprises Canadian Dan Treichel and US-born Dave Canning, who join the agency from their previous roles as creative directors at Barton F. Graf 9000, where they were responsible for the much awarded Climate Name Change for 350 Action. Also while at Barton, they lead creative for such clients as Little Caesars, DISH Network, The Mentor Act for Esquire, the 25 million viewed Clash of Clans campaign and won new business including GoDaddy, GrubHub and Mars’ CocoVia.
Prior to Barton, Treichel held a senior position at Droga5 while Canning held a senior position at Wieden + Kennedy, NY. Separately, they worked on the Newcastle Brown Ale No Bollocks launch, ESPN’s It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports campaign and Southern Comfort’s Whatever’s Comfortable.
Between them, they have won over 200 international awards, including 47 Cannes Lions, 25 One Show pencils,16 Clio awards and 20 D&AD awards. They are currently the highest rated US creative duo in the AdAge 2014 Awards Report, making them arguably the biggest hire in Amsterdam’s creative industry in recent years.
In their new roles as Executive Creative Directors at 180 Amsterdam, Dan and Dave have been tasked with taking an instrumental role in the agency’s ambitious future business plans, as well as spearheading a new wave of creative excellence across every tier of the company.
The appointments are the result of over a year’s search, which included meeting prospective candidates in China, Africa and Asia, in line with the agency’s global client reach and outlook.
Dave Canning, Executive Creative Director, 180 Amsterdam, commented: “The challenge we have set ourselves at 180 Amsterdam is simple. Not just to create the best work in Amsterdam, or even in Europe, but to make the best work in the world.”
Dan Treichel, Executive Creative Director, 180 Amsterdam, added: “Coming up with unconventional solutions to very real problems is something Dave and I love doing. That’s why we are so thrilled to be joining a purely ideas-led company such as 180 Amsterdam. We felt that we understood the DNA of the business before we even set foot in the door.”
Al Moseley, President and Chief Creative Officer, 180 Amsterdam, commented: “I’m as excited as hell about the guys coming to 180. Whenever I take a decision at 180 Amsterdam, the question I ask myself is, ‘Will it make the work better?’ and, as soon as I met Dave and Dan, I knew that the answer was a resounding ‘Yes’.”