Digby Atkinson has given up his full-time role as Summerfield
Wilmot Keene’s caretaker creative chief to link up with his former boss,
Paul Wilmot.
Atkinson, who has been running the agency’s creative department since
Wilmot’s exit (Campaign, 18 September) will work alongside him on
freelance projects at the newly launched production company,
Upstart.
The pair will continue working on some SWK accounts and new
business.
Atkinson, who was hired by Wilmot for SWK in November 1996, said:
’Paul’s departure influenced my decision. To be honest, there’s nobody
else I wanted to work with.’
One of the UK ad industry’s most experienced art directors, Atkinson is
best known for his long partnership with Tim Mellors at Saatchi &
Saatchi and Publicis. He also had a five-year spell as a creative
director at Grey.
In a career spanning two decades, he has worked on British Airways and
British Rail, helped launch Racal Vodafone and was closely involved in
the launch campaign for the Independent.
At Upstart, he will work with Wilmot producing ads either for other
agencies or directly for clients.
Wilmot said: ’The two years I spent working with Digby were among the
most productive ever for me.
We get on like a house on fire and we love bouncing ideas off each
other.’
