MullenLowe LA Bolsters Creative and Cultural Strategy Capabilities with New Leaders

MullenLowe U.S. has appointed three new directors to its Los Angeles office. Fabio Brigido and Chris Juhas have joined the agency’s flourishing creative team as creative directors, and Pilar McQuirter is the agency’s first cultural strategy director. The trio is the latest in a series of strategic hires at the agency’s growing Los Angeles office, which includes Chris Denson, its first U.S. director of innovation, and executive creative directors, Laura Laura and Carlos Alija, who joined the agency last autumn.

“Fabio, Chris and Pilar are joining our team at a pivotal time for the agency, and we’re thrilled to welcome the perspectives this highly accomplished, dynamic talent brings to the MullenLowe U.S. family,” said Javier Passerieu, managing director, MullenLowe LA. “They represent our dedication to meaningful, culturally relevant creative work that is a must to be an effective marketer in today’s world.”

Fabio and Chris join the agency from TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, where they served as creative directors. Landing the pair is a coup for creative leads Laura and Carlos, who have been building their creative department. The duo will work on the agency’s global Grey Goose account, among others.

Fabio will also take on the new position of head of art, a role that not every agency has, but an important one to fulfil Laura’s and Carlos' vision for the agency and its commitment to craft. His creative portfolio spans three continents and represents global brands such as Nike, Burger King and Unilever. He’s a boomerang MullenLowe employee, having spent time at LOLA MullenLowe in Madrid, the most awarded European agency of 2018 according to the WARC Rankings, MullenLowe U.S. and MullenLowe Brasil.

Chris spent several successful years shaping the Gatorade account at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, and he played an instrumental role in winning the McCafé and McDonald's breakfast accounts. His prior creative contributions to Honda, Kia and Farmers Insurance resulted in several celebrated Super Bowl campaigns and the co-development of J.K. Simmons’ lasting character for the University of Farmers.

Pioneering a new, multifaceted role, Pilar is part of MullenLowe’s brand strategy group. She is charged with transforming cultural insights into strategic perspectives on how brands should behave within the bigger picture of community, history and culture. She will focus on Patrón, as well as new business. Given her rich career background that spans clients and agency employees, she will also be contributing to the growth of MullenLowe’s DEI efforts and programming in the United States.

Born and raised in Chicago, Pilar led both brand strategy and DEI programming strategy at Leo Burnett, where she worked on P&G’s Always brand, and at Havas, working with R.J. Reynolds and Coca-Cola. While at Havas, she founded the company’s first employee resource group, Havas Faces, which morphed into the award-winning #BLACKATWORK platform, earning stage time at the 3% Conference. She served as an ADCOLOR Advisory Board member, was honoured as a 2019 ADCOLOR Future and is an alumna of the renowned 4A’s Multicultural Advertising Intern Program.

MullenLowe LA’s client roster spans multiple verticals, including Acura (AOR relationship since 2013), Whole Foods Market, Grey Goose, Patrón, the California Avocado Commission, Hawaiian Airlines, Constellation Brands (Corona, Two Lane, High West and The Prisoner Wine Company) and Providence. The integrated agency exhibits a creative-first approach across its capabilities in strategy, social, customer relationship management, digital marketing and public relations. Throughout the past year, the LA team has sharpened its talent base to expand in innovation.