Hasta La Creative!

Full-service Chicago-based independent agency Laughlin Constable hired Dan Fietsam as chief creative officer, effective June 1.

Fietsam joins the agency after leaving his position as executive vice president/executive creative director with FCB Chicago last November.

Since then he led his own creative consultancy, The Fietsam Group, as well as teaching in the graduate program at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Communications. He originally joined FCB Chicago in July of 2014 and worked with such key clients as ABInBev, Boeing, Joe Boxer and Valspar after serving as CCO with Energy BBDO for over five and a half years and leading creative on accounts including Anheuser-Busch, Wrigley, Bayer, SC Johnson, Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pearle Vision and King’s Hawaiian.

He began his career as a junior copywriter with Ogilvy & Mather in 1988 and has held creative positions at Leo Burnett, Y&R, DDB and Publicis Seattle, where he led work on T-Mobile, Washington’s Lottery, RealNetworks and Coinstar.

“We are on a mission to constantly reinvent and push both ourselves and our clients. Dan is the perfect partner to help us deliver on that promise, as he is one of the most recognized and admired creative leaders in the industry,” said Laughlin Constable CEO Mat Lignel. “As importantly, he shares our entrepreneurial DNA and ambition to become one of the most successful independent agencies in the country.”

“I believe we as an industry are moving beyond advertising and more into creative marketing, whatever form that may take,” added Fietsam.

“I was already leaning into a more fluid and entrepreneurial model when I began talking with Mat about the possibility of working together. Being a part of the right team is critical to me. I was drawn to the leadership team and the people that Mat and Steve Laughlin have recruited to the agency.”

FCB announced two big moves atop its North American ranks today: Chicago EVP/ECD Jon Flannery is moving up to Toronto and Dan Fietsam has been hired to take his place.

Flannery’s promotion comes in the wake of the success of a certain campaign you may have seen that involved the shipping of pants; the win earned him an ECD promotion just over a year ago. While the man called himself “a late bloomer” in a Chicago Business Journal interview about that campaign, he served as CD/VP during a nine-year run at Leo Burnett and spent seven years at Element79.

Flannery replaces CCO Robin Heisey, who left FCB Toronto for parts unknown several weeks ago after 14 years at the agency. He will officially take over on August 11th, working “in tandem” with FCB Canada President Paul Mead.

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After spending the last five-plus years at Chicago-based Energy BBDO, word has trickled down through the departments that Dan Fietsam is no longer with the agency. If you recall, Fietsam replaced Marty Orzio over a half-decade ago as EVP/chief creative officer at the agency. We were forwarded a note from Energy sent from Energy’s president/CEO, Paul Tonise. See below:

“From: Paul, Tonise
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Subject: Thanks, Dan!

 

Team,

After 5-1/2 years, Dan is leaving the agency.  It’s been a good run, and we are thankful for Dan’s contributions to our collective success.

When Dan started, Energy BBDO was a smaller agency and, like the rest of America (and world), we were amidst one of most difficult macro economic downturns.  We continued to grow and succeed and Dan was a key player.

Under his leadership, we drove award-winning work and got recognition from the creative community. Most importantly, he brought in wonderful creative leaders.

In the “Next Phase for Fietsam”, Dan yearns to get closer to the creation of the work. And that’s what he’ll do in his last month with the agency. We are in a search for Dan’s replacement and, in the interim, will rely on our outstanding group creative directors to continue leading their businesses.

We are grateful to Dan for all he’s done to help make Energy BBDO what it is today. I know you will all join me in offering your personal thanks to Dan.

Tonise”

 

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