Droga5 ANZ promotes CDs Christie Cooper and James Conner to Executive Creative Directors

Droga5 ANZ, part of Accenture Song, continues to build on its regional creative leadership, today announcing the elevation of Creative Directors Christie Cooper and James Conner to Executive Creative Directors, effective immediately. They will report directly to Co-Chief Creative Officers Barbara Humphries and Damon Stapleton.

Cooper and Conner were part of the team behind the recent Grand Clio-winning Benee Bagels campaign for ASB, and along with picking up metal at all the major shows, their work has influenced legislation, been cited in academic research, and made a lasting mark on culture.

Over nearly 20 years working together – across DDB, Colenso, The Monkeys, and now Droga5 ANZ – Cooper and Conner have helped shape campaigns for some of New Zealand’s biggest brands, including ASB, Meridian, Asahi, Lion, SKY TV, Westpac, Volkswagen, McDonald’s, Pink Batts, BNZ, Burger King, and Cadbury. They’ve also worked on award-winning campaigns like Steinlager’s Deep Dive, BMW’s Reverse April Fools, Paw Justice: Animal Strike, and Don’t Trademe.

In further news, Droga5 ANZ Associate Creative Directors Lennie Galloway, Thomas Gledhill, Max Rapley and Danny Pattison, have also been promoted to Creative Directors. The move reinforces Droga5’s commitment to nurturing talent and driving world-class creativity across the region.

The newly appointed executive creative directors and creative directors will work closely with Executive Creative Directors Hugh Gurney and Joe Sibley – both promoted to ECDs in December 2024 – to continue delivering bold, innovative work for clients across the ANZ region.

Says James Conner, Executive Creative Director, Droga5, ANZ: “We’re honoured to be stepping up as Executive Creative Directors, and excited to support Damon, Barb and CEO Matt Michael in building Droga5’s trans-Tasman creative department, helping shape bold, impactful work across both New Zealand and Australia.”

Says Christie Cooper, Executive Creative Director, Droga5, ANZ: “We’re excited about the opportunity to work as the creative leads on an impressive portfolio of clients across the ANZ region and we feel really lucky to be a part of such a strong creative team.”

Says Barbara Humphries, Co-Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 ANZ: “These promotions recognise the incredible talent we have in the business and the lasting impact each of them has made. Having worked closely with them, I know they’ll bring even more creative firepower to our clients across Australia and New Zealand.”

Says Damon Stapleton, Co-Chief Creative Officer, Droga5 ANZ: “A huge congrats to Christie and James and our refreshed line up of creative directors. Giving all our teams more opportunities across the Tasman, our approach to borderless creativity is set in motion offering up solutions to our clients who seek out this approach to tackle outsized ideas with outsized ambition.”

Image 1 (L-R) James Conner and Christie Cooper

Image 2 (L-R) Lennie Galloway, Thomas Gledhill, Danny Pattison, Max Rapley

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