Steve Grime has stunned Leagas Shafron Davis by quitting as creative
director to become a partner at Mitchell Patterson Aldred Mitchell.
He has been attracted by the promise of a substantial equity stake -
something he never had at Leagas Shafron - as well as his name on the
door. The shop will henceforth be known as Mitchell Patterson Grime
Mitchell.
Grime, an art director, will become joint creative director alongside
Neil Patterson, the former Young and Rubicam creative chief, who helped
found Mitchell Patterson in 1990. Patterson said: ‘We will be a
formidable pairing.’
Grime’s departure is a big blow for Leagas Shafron. He has been closely
involved in the agency’s Central Office of Information business, which
includes the Inland Revenue and car crime prevention.
The agency also faces a possible repitch for the estimated pounds 15
million account of Royal Sun Alliance, formed when its Sun Alliance
client merged with Royal Insurance.
For Mitchell Patterson, Grime’s arrival will give impetus to what has
sometimes been regarded as a lacklustre creative product.
The partners also hope that Grime will help to attract more significant
brands from major advertisers - including Birds Eye and Spillers -
already on its roster.
Grime’s name goes into the agency’s title as a replacement for John
Aldred, who is to head Access All Areas, a Mitchell Patterson subsidiary
offering a range of services (Campaign, 27 September).
Grime has won a string of Campaign awards in a career spanning Foote
Cone Belding, Doyle Dane Bernbach, WCRS and Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.
