Tom Hudson, the former BST-BDDP creative director who left
following last month’s merger with GGT, is returning to Leagas Delaney
after a two-year absence.
Hudson teams up with the US art director, Darryl McDonald, who recently
moved to London from Leagas Delaney’s San Francisco shop.
Hudson and McDonald will become the fourth pair of creative directors at
the agency, working alongside Tiger Savage and Mark Denton, Rob Burleigh
and Dave Beverley and Ian Farquhar and Will Ducker.
Hudson found himself without a clear future last month following the
creation of BDDP GGT, of which Trevor Beattie became overall creative
director (Campaign, 31 October). He left the agency two weeks after the
merger.
Hudson said: ’I didn’t want to be part of the merged agency and decided
to make a clean break of it. It’s always flattering to be asked to come
back somewhere and to be asked back to an agency as good as Leagas
Delaney is doubly flattering. The agency remains incredibly focused and
I will have the opportunity to work with Darryl, who is a class art
director. It was not a difficult decision.’
Hudson, an award-winning writer, joined BST from Leagas Delaney in
January 1996, replacing the former creative director, John Iles. During
his time at Leagas Delaney he helped to establish its fledgling US
office in Portland, Oregon, where he spent five months as part of a
heavyweight project team dedicated to the agency’s key Adidas
business.
He worked overseas for Bates in Japan between 1993 and 1994, and
established his reputation during a seven-year spell at Bartle Bogle
Hegarty, where he wrote the ’scoop’, ’cone’ and ’quiff’ press ads and
’face cream’ and ’gondola’ TV spots for Boddingtons.
McDonald joined Leagas Delaney’s San Francisco agency nine months
ago.
Before that he worked at Wieden & Kennedy, partnering Jim Riswold and
Jamie Barratt and working on its flagship Nike business.
Tim Delaney, Leagas Delaney’s executive creative director, said: ’We are
fortunate to have such a high calibre pair working together.’
