Darren is an award winning creative leader with over 20 years experience. He cut his teeth in London at Wieden & Kennedy where he spent nearly 10 years working across Nike, Nokia, Honda and The Guardian before becoming CD on Nike. He then moved to Grey London where he was CD on the Lucozade, McVities, Vodafone and GSK accounts.
With a move to Australia in 2017, Darren joined Clemenger BBDO Sydney where he helped guide the agency to Agency of the Year at AWARD Awards in 2019 and in 2020 was named joint ECD. Along the way, Darren has picked up awards at D&AD, Cannes, Clio’s, Campaign Big, Creative Circle, One Show and AWARD Awards.
Simon Joyce, CEO & founder, Emotive said, “From the moment he walked through the door, Darren has raised the bar creatively and helped elevate the work across clients, and just as importantly, he’s done so in a way that has enriched the additive creative culture we’ve built. Having founded Emotive with a collective of senior CDs and the principle that each CD is empowered to take greater ownership of their work, appointing a GCD was a big call. But far from blowing the model up, bringing Darren in has allowed us to supercharge it. With the growth we’re experiencing, the impact we’re already seeing, and an ambition to compete with the very best creatively, it’s undoubtedly the right move.
Darren said, “I’m delighted to be joining Emotive. SJ and Hoggy have assembled an amazing crew of talented people who care about each other and the work they do immensely. With the clients they have and the brands they work with, the opportunities and potential are massive. I can’t wait”
Darren is based out of Emotive’s Coogee HQ and the appointment is effective immediately.