Erich and Kallman Hires Rikesh Lal as Executive Creative Director

Erich and Kallman, the award-winning independent advertising agency and a 2021 Ad Age Small Agency of the Year, has hired Rikesh Lal as executive creative director. With this appointment, Rikesh is the agency’s first-ever ECD hire and joins at a time of record business growth for the agency. Rikesh was previously executive creative director and partner at Camp + King. 

“Rikesh is a fantastic creative leader,” said Eric Kallman, chief creative officer and co-founder, Erich and Kallman. “His enthusiasm, mentorship, and love of creativity are contagious and exactly what we were looking for in our agency’s first ECD. He’s also fun to work with, which frankly, matters a lot. I can’t wait to see the impact he has as we continue to grow and work with a wide range of ambitious clients who recognise the business value of making great advertising that people love.” 

Rikesh brings over 15 years of agency experience, expertise in building brands, and a track record of award-winning creative work to Erich and Kallman. While at Camp + King, he helped to grow the agency’s roster of brands and oversaw all creative output for clients such as Energizer, Google, RE/MAX, and Papa John's. 

“I’ve admired Erich and Kallman’s work for years. They have this innate ability to not only create advertising that captivates but is also smart, respects the audience and drives business. It's something I appreciate and look forward to being part of. With all the amazing talent on this team and the high level of creativity, the opportunities are endless. It’s an exciting time to be here,” said Rikesh. 

2021 was Erich and Kallman’s strongest year ever. The agency won eight AOR accounts, including Great Wolf Lodge, Friendly’s Restaurants, and Foster Farms, which led to a 40 percent increase in revenue compared to pre-pandemic 2019. The team has delivered an ongoing slew of memorable brand campaigns for clients including Disney, Lucid Motors, Dole Foods, Hershey, Meineke Car Care, Great Wolf Lodge, New Belgium Brewing, Take 5 Oil Change, iRobot, and more. As a result of this business growth and creative momentum, Erich and Kallman’s staff has grown by more than 30 percent, with five out of its six departments run by women. 

Throughout his career, Lal has created campaigns for clients such as Nike, Converse, MINI, Sprite, Philips Electronics, and Microsoft. After beginning his career as an art director at Butler, Shine Stern and Partners, he worked at AKQA, DDB Amsterdam, and Publicis & Hal Riney. Along the way, Rikesh’s work has received top marks from Cannes Lions, the One Show, Effies, the London International Awards, Graphis Design, the Type Director’s Club, and Clio Awards.