STW’s creative technology agency, DT, has chosen an executive creative director, not from technology.

“Our industry claims to be innovative but in fact it’s quite traditional; it likes to put people in narrow silos like being a planner, or a creative, or a technologist, but all working separately. But that need to define is in fact what is holding our industry back,” Jerker Fagerström stated.

Fagerström has just been appointed executive creative director at DT.

Jerker Fagerström comes from a multinational advertising network, DDB Worldwide. He was, until recently, executive creative director and managing partner at DDB Stockholm.

Why is an agency with a strong history in technology recruiting its ECD from an agency with a strong history in advertising? Because the market wants “an agency that genuinely gets digital, though with equal capabilities in creative, strategy and technology,” explained DT chief executive officer, Brian Vella.

“Digital has been the back bone of DT for 18 years, which has delivered year on year double digit growth. However that’s not enough anymore. We need to go beyond that. It’s not about digital vs advertising either, it’s about creating truly memorable brand and customer experiences. In the connected age we believe this can only be achieved by a blend of creativity, strategy and technology, and a culture that celebrates and respects them equally.”

And for Fagerström, it was DT’s focus on offering clients “solutions not labels” that led him to move his family across the world to join the agency.

“Clients increasingly don’t care if you define yourself as a creative agency, a digital agency, or a media agency. They want to know that you can solve their business problems, which for most brands and businesses are becoming increasingly complex and intrinsically linked with technology. DT’s vision is to do just that, not just quickly fix a communications problem. That’s what really attracted me to DT, we both believe that if you throw creativity and technology at a true business problem, you can change the game.”

The rag-bag is one example of how Fagerström changed the game on behalf of fashion client, Uniforms for the Dedicated.

This is how rag-bag works: “Here’s how a simple shopping bag can help you to do something good. By turning it inside out and donating something used, you will extend the life-cycle of that product. On top of that, you might even help someone in need. Rag bag is a simple way to go from just talking about recycling to actually doing it.”

Fagerström began his career in Sweden as a planner. He was founding partner of S&S in Sweden before joining DDB Stockholm. There he worked as head of strategy, then as group business director and managing partner, followed by an appointment to executive creative director and managing partner. Under his six years in leadership positions, DDB Stockholm as won a Titanium Lion, Cyber Grand Prix at Cannes and a Eurobest Outdoor Grand Prix. He has worked on clients like McDonalds, Adidas, Volkswagen, Lufthansa, Telia, Carlsberg, H&M and the Swedish Armed Forces.

Fagerström will be based in DT’s Sydney office but responsible for the agency’s creative output across its Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland offices.