OKRP is strengthening its creative leadership team with the appointment of Rony Castor as Group Creative Director, overseeing its Metro by T-Mobile account.
Castor, a multi-award-winning creative named the 2022 AdColor’s One Club Creative Honoree of the Year, joins from Goodby Silverstein & Partners, where he served as Creative Director, leading impactful campaigns for renowned brands such as Pepsico, BMW, KraftHeinz, Xfinity, The Golden State Warriors, and Courageous Conversation Global Foundation.
“It is not every day that you have the opportunity to hire a world-class talent like Rony, one who has been celebrated across the industry from Adweek’s Creative 100 to Adage’s 40 Under 40, to Fast Company’s Innovation by Design,” noted Tom O’Keefe, CEO of OKRP.
Castor will spearhead the Metro by T-Mobile account, OKRP’s largest account following its win earlier this year. The agency’s ‘Nada Yada Yada’ concept has been embraced as a brand platform by Metro, evolving into both a business and advertising imperative. Castor will lead an integrated and expanding team of creatives working across all aspects of Metro’s business, including numerous native Spanish-speaking creatives. His decision to join OKRP was influenced by ECDs Ben Pfutzenreuter and Matt McNulty, with whom he had previously collaborated at Goodby.
“Rony is a change-making creative leader who has not only won nearly every award imaginable but, more importantly, has delivered impact-driving work for the great brands he has touched,” added Matt McNulty, ECD at OKRP. “We are excited to have him on board now at OKRP.”
“There’s a lot to love and look forward to – the freedom that comes with an independent agency, the diversity of the people at OKRP, and the potential to make great things on a larger cultural scale with our partners at Metro,” said Castor. “And on top of all that, I’m really excited to help continue the impactful work that Putney is creating and build on the agency’s initiatives like Black Shop Friday and help steer the ship, pushing the boundaries on where it can go.” (Putney was created by OKRP as an independent, minority-owned creative collective).
Rony has co-created numerous thought-provoking social justice campaigns for Courageous Conversations Global Foundation. His “Not a Gun” campaign was honored by Fast Company’s ‘Innovation in Design’ and ‘World Changing Ideas,’ named by Ad Age as Campaign of the Year, and winner of the Grand Ogilvy award. His recent work for Courageous Conversations, “Driving While Black,” has garnered widespread acclaim.
His work extends beyond traditional advertising and includes a romantic audiobook about juice, newspapers that turn into protest signs, an episodic YouTube cartoon series, and a Car Wash that became an ASMR experience during the pandemic – among many other brand ideas.
Prior to GS&P, Castor, a Chicago native, worked at a variety of Chicago agencies, including DDB, FCB, Commonground (now Ten35), Havas, and Burrell, contributing to global brands such as Toyota, McDonald’s, Nissan, Mountain Dew, Jack Daniel’s, Michelob Ultra, FanDuel, Wingstop, Coors Light, and many more.
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