Adam Kirby, the principal account man on Lowe Howard-Spink’s
high-profile Stella Artois business for the past seven years, has quit
the agency to take charge of almost pounds 23 million worth of business
at Bates Dorland.
He will assume responsibility for Dorlands’ pounds 17 million Heinz
client and the pounds 4.8 million-billing Superdrug account.
Kirby, 36, takes over from Andy Bryant, the Dorlands joint head of
client service and account chief on Heinz, who left this year to join
the Bates network’s Campaign Palace in Sydney as one of a five-man
management team (Campaign, 25 July).
Kirby arrives in the wake of a number of senior management changes at
Dorlands and the recent appointment of Jay Pond-Jones as executive
creative director.
He said: ’After seven years, I felt the time was right for a change of
scene. Dorlands has been a great agency in the past and there is a real
sense it will hit the heights again. Jay’s appointment is the icing on
the cake.’
A Bristol University history graduate, Kirby joined CBS Toys as a
marketing trainee in 1983. He moved to Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO three
years later where his account responsibilities included Yellow Pages,
Comet, Dunlop and the Daily Telegraph.
Later, as a board account director at Lowes, he handled Whitbread and
Express Newspapers.
Dorlands’ most recent Heinz work is characterised by TV advertising
featuring slices of family life against a soundtrack of African music,
while Superdrug has been building its brand through a series of
commercials in a ’video diaries’ style.
’It’s good to be able to take some of my Stella Artois experience and
make it work in other markets,’ Kirby added. ’Brands don’t come much
bigger and more grown up than Heinz while Superdrug’s advertising has
given it a real edge and personality.’
