Longtail appoints Creative Director & Head of Art
Longtail, Perth’s leading digital marketing agency, has appointed Josh Edge (left) to the role of Creative Director and Rikki Burns (right) as Head of Art, with the pair due to start in September. The pair are currently teamed at The Brand Agency.
“Our focus on great ideas enabled with digital technology has created an award-winning business that is poised for further growth.” said Carlo Bertozzi, Longtail’s Founder and Owner. “Josh and Rikki are one of Perth’s most awarded and exciting creative teams with top honours at Clio, AWARD, Sirens, London International, Campaign Brief, PADC and the D&AD Book. Their appointment reflects our continued commitment to great creative thinking and innovation.”
“After 7 great years at the Brand, it’s time to get back to basics and get a new creative focus within a much smaller agency structure,” said Edge.
“Rikki and I are really looking forward to the opportunity to build a new, ‘ideas-factory’ approach to advertising that isn’t based on any traditional divisions between creative, digital and the client. We both feel like we’ve seen a bit of what works and what doesn’t over our career so far, and we have a real desire to try and make Perth a place where people can do work that’s great, in a great working environment. To his credit, Carlo has shown a lot of support for our crazy ideas. Watch this space!”
“We developed great regard for Josh’s understanding of the digital platform whilst working with him on the Curtin Box project, his breakthrough strategic thinking and thought leadership marked him as a clear candidate for the role,” Carlo explains. “While Rikki is one of the sharpest art directors in town and has consistently impressed with her attention to craft and story-telling abilities, in campaigns for successful clients as diverse as Perth Zoo and Drug Aware.”
31 Comments
Best. Photo. Ever.
A sad day for The Brand. A big loss.
Change is good, good for them, good for the Brand.
That’s excellent news. If there is a problem with Perth, it’s the glass ceiling talented creatives encounter when they look beyond senior level. The independents all have at least one owner at CD level, the two networks feel obliged to hire big names from outside to “push” the creative bringing “big agency thinking” to the table (and other such wank). Leaving the choice for most Perth-based teams of either putting up with it and accepting their career will always be dependent on someone else’s creative judgement or shipping out. Good on Longtail for giving real young talent a chance to prove itself at the highest level. And to CD-owners of the other independents, maybe it’s time to start considering giving the young guns a chance to show what they can do?
Oh dear 5.28. You are so naive. Look at MF.
5:58
Couldn’t agree more, well said. Hopefully there are several juniors knocking on Brand’s door as we speak, and the cycle can continue.
Congrats to everyone involved.
7.16 get some glasses.
6.26 Terrible example. Would those boys have been given the gig if they hadn’t left to find their fortune over east? When’s the last time anyone was promoted to the top job without starting their own agency or making their mark outside the market (force)? This is a great opportunity to show what homegrown talent can do, with experience and client relationships that were formed in Perth. Exciting times!
The Perth industry could be a very different playing field next year. Longtail is stepping up, The Shed is starting up, Marketforce is barely recognisable… we haven’t seen changes of this scale for years. What’s happening to the bigger agencies?
Remember a couple of years ago, one of the big local agencies parachuted someone in high up in the creative department – over the top of some incredibly well respected seniors – based on the fact he’d done something somewhere at sometime for Apple? That’s the kind of thinking that needs to be challenged.
10:14 What in the heckfire are you talking about? I take it you were one of those ‘respected seniors?’
Wow, 7 years. That certainly is going to leave a huge hole at Brand. Congrats guys.
Muz and Steve this could be your life line!
The ratio of rangas at the Brand is shrinking oh no!
Congrats Rikki and Josh
Presumably this, along with the departure of Danielle, signals the death knell for Brand’s affirmative action Ranga-hiring policy.
Congratulations Rikki & Josh, well deserved! You guys will do a kick ass job! This is great for Longtail, terrible for The Brand.
Hardly terrible for Brand, people move on , new people come in, no one is indispensable in this business, no matter how good they think they are.
6:18 ha ha sour grapes.
You 2 will do great things!
Spot on 6.18, it’s a fact of advertising life.
6:18 Of course people move on and fill gaps, and the world turns as usual, but I take umbrage with your “no matter how good they think they are” stab. These are humble, hard-working people who certainly deserve this opportunity.
I agree with 9:40, “sour grapes” from someone at the Brand… and that’s an embarrassing and childish way to treat people who have given the company 7 solid years of hard work and loyalty.
2:13 – I take umbrage at the use of the word umbrage!
6.18
Look at which creatives have won what for the Brand over the last few years. Subtract the photographers own holiday snap entries, the books made of dishcloths and the frankly fucking bizarre year at PADC. I think you’ll find the remainder of the success has just packed its bags and headed for Longtail
Props to Longtail for taking a big step in the creative direction. An excellent investment. Good luck to all and hope to see great things in the future.
4:22, you forgot to subtract the scamtastic work for Perth Zoo. Oh no, now their bags are empty…
7.33.
Let’s see how well the Bethanie Homes stuff does at the Golden Stomas in Palm Springs next month before we start writing the Brand off
Congrats guys and good luck!
12:16 Googled that. CANNOT BE UNSEEN!
Cheer up you two. You just scored good jobs, right?
Good luck and well done guys, your efforts here have been enormous…you will be missed. All my love and best wishes for the next phase of your careers. x
Thanks Craig. x