Carla Serrano Joins Publicis Kaplan Thaler as Chief Strategy Officer

NEW YORK CITY, NY (January 16, 2014) – Andrew Bruce, CEO for Publicis North America, today announced the appointment of Carla Serrano as Chief Strategy Officer for Publicis Kaplan Thaler, effective February 10, 2014.  Serrano, a leading planning expert, brings over 20 years of experience in brand strategy and integrated communications through her work on many of the world’s most successful global brands.

Serrano joins Publicis Kaplan Thaler from Naked Communications, where she was CEO.  In her new post as Chief Strategy Officer, Serrano will lead strategy development across digital, brand planning, analytics and social channels, working closely with Publicis Kaplan Thaler’s Chairman, Linda Kaplan Thaler, and President/Chief Creative Officer, Rob Feakins.

In making the announcement, Bruce said, “Carla is an amazingly talented and innovative strategic leader who is at the forefront of modern brand building.  She understands and fully embraces the transformation that has taken place in our industry with digital, social and consumer empowerment at the core. I had the pleasure of working with Carla at the start of our careers, and have watched her achieve great success for her clients and agencies ever since.  I am so thrilled to be on the same team again.”In making the move, Serrano said, “Andrew, Linda and Rob’s vision deeply aligns with my belief about strategy today, where theory and practice, strategy and creative, content and channel merge seamlessly in expression. The Publicis network’s commitment to strategically fueled creativity and dynamic integration is refreshing, critical, and exciting.”

Serrano started her advertising career at Chiat/Day Toronto at a time when account planning was an emerging discipline in North America. From the start, she worked on iconic brands including Apple and Nissan, then Pepsi and Frito-Lay while at BBDO. Serrano moved to New York to rejoin TBWA Chiat/Day where she helped embed and cultivate the agency’s proprietary creative strategy process. She went on to become TBWA’s Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to her most recent post at Naked, Serrano was with Berlin Cameron United as Planning Director and was promoted to President in 2009 having helped win and lead global brands such as Samsung, Coca-Cola and Hennessy.

About Publicis Kaplan Thaler
Publicis Kaplan Thaler is the New York flagship office of Publicis North America, the regional operating unit of Paris-based Publicis Worldwide, the largest global network within holding company Publicis Groupe S.A.

With over 650 employees, Publicis Kaplan Thaler is a fully integrated advertising agency with digital, social and technology at its core. The Agency’s blue chip client roster includes: Procter & Gamble, CITI, Nestle, Merck, Pfizer, TriHonda, Wendy’s, L’Oreal, and Aflac, among others. Its mission is ‘To Lead the Change’ to help clients leap ahead. To learn more about Publicis Kaplan Thaler, follow @PKTtweets, like on Facebook or visit pkt.com.

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Publicis Kaplan Thaler Appoints Joshua Hirsch as New Chief Technology Officer

Agency Strengthens Fully Integrated Model, Client Offering

NEW YORK CITY, NY (August 16, 2013) – Publicis Kaplan Thaler announced today it has hired Joshua Hirsch as EVP, Chief Technology Officer to expand its deep bench strength and best-in-class offering. In this role, Hirsch will lead the New York-based shop’s technology and innovation practice, ensuring clients benefit from the most advanced programs, products and emerging technologies. He will report to Robin Koval, CEO of Publicis Kaplan Thaler.

Previously, Hirsch served as Partner & Minister of Technology at Big Spaceship, where he led the shop’s research and development team, building numerous award-winning digital projects. He has also held senior designer/development posts at Asymptote and Guggenheim.com.

“Today, technology informs the creative process as never before, and Joshua will help provide our clients with an unprecedented level of innovation,” said Robin Koval. “Joshua is a proven leader with a significant track record of developing impressive front-edge solutions, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have him join us. We expect to do truly innovative and industry-leading work together – work that continues to lead the change for our clients.”

Susan Gianinno, Chairman & CEO, Publicis Worldwide in the USA, stated, “Digital continues to be at the center of everything we do for our clients across Publicis Worldwide in the USA. My goal is for each office in the USA network to continue to both cultivate, and accelerate, digital innovation under the guidance of superior digital talent and leadership. The teaming of Joshua, with the leaders we have in place in our largest Publicis office in the USA, will ensure that digital-thinking adds significant value to all the clients across this flagship operation.”

Named one of the ad industry’s top 10 technologists of 2011, Hirsch is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences and a long-standing adviser on Adobe Software launches. He often shares his expertise at industry conferences, instructional workshops and awards panels throughout the world, including the One Show and Art Directors Club.

Hirsch is a graduate of Northwestern University.

About Publicis Kaplan Thaler
Publicis Kaplan Thaler is a fully integrated advertising agency with digital, social and technology at its core. With over 650 employees, it is the flagship of Publicis Worldwide in the USA, the North American operating unit of Publicis Worldwide, the largest global agency network within Publicis Groupe. The Agency’s blue-chip client roster includes: Procter & Gamble, CITI, Nestlé, Merck, Pfizer, TriHonda, Wendy’s, L’Oréal, AFLAC, and NAPA Auto Parts, among others. To learn more about Publicis Kaplan Thaler, follow @PKTtweets, like on Facebook or visit pkt.com.

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Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations Announces New Agency Relationship with Publicis Dallas

NASHVILLE, TENN. (July 1, 2013) – Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations today  announced that it has established a relationship with Publicis Dallas for the strategic and creative work on its Bridgestone brand. Publicis Dallas will focus on brand building and advertising ideas for the Bridgestone brand.

As part of this change, the company is concluding its relationship with The Richards Group as the strategic and creative agency for the Bridgestone brand but will continue its relationship with Haymaker, the sports marketing arm of The Richards Group.

“We have enjoyed a strong and effective relationship with The Richards Group over the past seven years, and we thank them for their support of our team and our brand,” said Philip Dobbs, Chief Marketing Officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “Sports marketing is an important part of our brand building strategy, and we are pleased that Haymaker will continue to support us in this area. Overall, we believe this team has the right combination of strategy, creativity, commitment and service to excite our customers and further deepen their relationship with our Bridgestone brand.”

About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company’s Latin American tire operations; the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses; the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses; and Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, which operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Commercial Solutions Group, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.

About Publicis Dallas
Publicis Dallas, an integrated marketing communications agency, is a part of Publicis Worldwide in the USA, the North American regional operating unit of Paris-based Publicis Worldwide, the largest global agency network within holding company, Publicis Groupe S.A. The Publicis Worldwide mission is ‘To Lead The Change’ to help our clients leap ahead. Publicis Dallas clients include: CiCi’s Pizza; Nestlé brands Nestlé Pure Life, Nestea, and Juicy Juice; Simon Property Group; and ServiceMaster brands TruGreen and Terminix; among others.

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