Ross Howard to CD of Tequila

As reported by CB yesterday, TBWA\Whybin\Tequila has promoted top digital CD Ross Howard tocreative director of Tequila as part of a move to bring digital to thecentre of the agency’s offering.

Hailing from the infamous Wanganui School of Design as 1999’s Top Graduating Student, Howard began his digital career by founding a boutique digital agency – Analog Media in 2000.

Three years later he was offered the opportunity to be a founding member of Shift’s new Auckland studio. Being part of the formative team of New Zealand’s leading online agency was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Six years on, after a stint freelancing in Tokyo, followed by asabbatical circumnavigation of the globe he found himself drawn back toNew Zealand’s creative industry. Here, before the age of 30 he wasappointed to be Shift’s creative director as it joined the TBWA networkvia TBWA\Whybin New Zealand.

Since then he’s continued to work across both studios, including a deepand fruitful collaboration with TBWA\Whybin on key accounts. Duringthat time he’s worked with Tourism New Zealand as well as be thedigital CD across Lion Nathan’s entire brand portfolio. WithTBWA\Whybin he works on global properties like adidas, Sony ComputerEntertainment, and VISA.

Over several years he has won design, technology and advertising awards including two Webby Awards for Tourism New Zealand’s newzealand.com.Shift’s partnership with TBWA\Whybin also resulted in several Lions(Gold – Promo and Bronze – Integrated/Titanium) for last year’s This IsNot A Jersey effort for adidas. He also picked up a Young Gun’s BronzeBullet and ‘Best Design’ award Gold for his work on Visa, and this yearhe collected an Interactive AXIS, Gold, Silver, and bronze, forAdisynth (and the group’s first cyber Lion shortlist) and Gold Awardfor adidas Jersey Swap.

His expertise in both creative and technical aspects of the digitalspace has had his articles appearing in leading design web journalsBoxes & Arrows and A List Apart, as well as being a repeatedinvitee to Google’s exclusive Foo Camp global conferences.