Digitas drops LBi & promotes Mike Frease to ECD

mike-frease-Digitas

New Digitas EVP/ECD Frease

It would seem that Digitas wants to stay in the news this week.

So, we’ll help them with their goal. First, the Publicis Groupe marketing agency announced it would to drop LBi like a microphone from its name and return to the name Digitas. Since the merger between Digitas and LBi in 2013, the two leading digital agencies have integrated seamlessly to form one powerful global network.

The agency’s Global Brand President, Michael Kahn, had this to say about the name change, “Digitas is a brand of unrivaled passion and diversity of talent and capabilities, all under one roof. We now take the world stage united in name, in belief, and in the unique value we bring to our employees, to clients, and to Publicis Groupe. With ‘Truth. Connection. Wonder.’ as our strategic guidepost for the work we do, the people who do it, and the culture that enables it, Digitas is positioned for sustainable growth in 2018, and beyond.”

A statement from the agency says it will keep the unicorn logo. Well, thank god for that!

In a second move, Digitas Chicago has elevated popular and talented Mike Frease to EVP, Executive Creative Director replacing Morgan Carroll who will evolve from Managing Director/ECD to Managing Director/Executive Creative Chair. He will reportedly partner with Frease to lead the office’s creative and strategic vision.

For the past 4 years, Frease has been the creative force behind the agency’s Whirlpool portfolio including Maytag, KitchenAid and Jenn-Air. His work on the Whirlpool Care Counts campaign has garnered some of the industry’s most prestigious awards including:

A 2017 Cannes Lion Grand Prix Winner for Creative Data. Also took home one Gold, two Bronze and three Shortlists. In total, Whirlpool Care Counts reached finalist status 56 times and won 38 medals, including a silver and a bronze Jay Chiat Award; One Show Gold and Silver; a D&AD White Pencil; Silver Effies in Branded Utility and Positive Change; an ADWEEK Media Plan of the Year and Project Isaac Award – both for Research Invention and Data Invention and the top honor: the Gravity Award, ADWEEK’s Best of Show for creative innovation. Watch below:

 

 

Frease told Reel Chicago, “To have the opportunity to relaunch such famous brands like Maytag and Whirlpool is truly a creative blessing. And now, I could not be more excited, humbled, and ready to lead the Chicago office grow our creative culture around Truth. Connection. Wonder.”

Carroll added, “Mike has partnered with our clients to create iconic and award-winning campaigns. The results have been extraordinary—our Gold Lions, Pencils, Effies, and Grands Prix are proof of that. More importantly, the work has embodied our commitment to combine creativity, technology, and data in ways that no other agency can.”

 
To contact Reel Chicago Editor Daniel Patton, email dan@reelchicago.com.