Ari Weiss has been promoted from his position as chief creative officer of DDB North America to chief creative officer of DDB Worldwide.

“As a global agency network that bears Bill Bernbach’s name and believes that creativity is the most powerful force in business, it’s critical to have leaders who constantly champion, provoke and expand creativity in all of its forms, potential and impact,” stated Wendy Clark, chief executive officer, DDB Worldwide.

“Ari’s career is best characterised as doing just that. Under his creative leadership the last two years, our North America region has seen a resurgence in business-impacting, award-winning work and high-calibre creative recruiting. I couldn’t be more excited to work together again on a global scale.”

Weiss (main image above) joined DDB in 2017 from BBH, where he had been chief creative officer since 2001, nearly a year after Clark was appointed North America chief executive officer.

He has since led the region to a total of 38 Lions and led campaigns such The Flip for McDonald’s, where the iconic M arches were flipped to a W for International Women’s Day; and Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical for Mars Wrigley Confectionery, a revolutionary campaign idea in which a one-night-only show premiered on Broadway during Super Bowl Sunday in place of a TV ad during the game.

These campaigns helped secure DDB Worldwide as the #2 Most Creative Network of the Year at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, and the #1 Most Creative Network of the Year at One Show and D&AD for 2019.

“Creativity is the most powerful force in business is a mantra that has long graced the hallways of Doyle Dane and Bernbach and I believe that to be truer today than ever before,” Weiss stated.

“As it gets harder and harder to stand out, we are faced with the reality that creativity is the only unfair business advantage still left to our clients. I see my job moving forward to champion, protect, and prove the incredible business advantage of the ideas that our thousands of brilliant creative people come up with on a daily basis. I see my job moving forward to champion, protect, and prove the incredible business advantage of the ideas that our thousands of brilliant creative people come up with on a daily basis.”

As Weiss’s first hire in the new role, he has named Britt Nolan as his successor. He has become chief creative officer for DDB North America, joining the network from Leo Burnett US where he was co-president and chief creative officer.

Britt Nolan

“Jealousy is a powerful motivator in the creative community, and Britt Nolan has been making me jealous for many, many years,” Weiss commented.

“I’m confident in not only his ability to keep raising the bar higher in North America, but also in his ability to partner with me and our leaders across the region to continue finding the best ways to provide our clients best-in-class creative output.”