Hasta La Creative!

We’ve seen our fair share of agency folks essentially burn bridges on their way out of their gigs over the years, but in recent weeks, select Arnold staffers have given us the flipside with some positive farewell notes. A little over a week after copywriter Richard Tseng left Arnold in rather poetic fashion, we now have this goodbye sent late last week from one Steve Viglione, who’s spent the last two-and-a-half years at said agency as a marketing analyst.

Considering Viglione’s title at Arnold, the graphic above (click for larger version) complete with lines, data points and shifts detailing his time at the agency makes perfect sense. You can see the full-size graphic along with the parting staffer’s complete note, which begins with the line “Saddle up. I’m about to drop the nerdiest farewell email ever written,” here.

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Sources familiar with the matter confirm that Brian Skahan, who has spent nearly two years serving as EVP/CTO/managing director of what was Publicis Modem and is now Publicis Kaplan Thaler, is heading back to his old stomping grounds at Crispin Porter +Bogusky. During his three-and-a-half year stint at the Boulder-based agency, Skahan served as VP/creative technology director and led development teams for clients including Microsoft and Domino’s.

CP+B would not officially comment on the matter, but from what we’re hearing, Skahan is just one of a handful of staffers who are boomeranging back to the agency. We’ll try to get title, start date, but in terms of the latter, we’re hearing that Skahan will assume his new role at CP+B within the next couple of weeks. Prior to CP+B, the tech exec worked at Digital Pulp. We’re certain that we’ll have more updates soon.

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We’re checking with the Moxie camp on exact titles/start date, but for now, we’ve received confirmation that Rob Bloom, who has spent the last two years as a senior copywriter at JWT’s Atlanta office, is joining up with, yep, fellow ATL agency Moxie Interactive.

From what we’re hearing, Bloom is reuniting with his old JWT Atlanta partner-in-crime, art director Ryan Taylor at Moxie and that both will assume the role of ACD at the latter agency. During their time together at JWT ATL, Bloom and Taylor worked on accounts including Quaker State, U.S. Virgin Islands, SCANA Energy and the Marines. If you care, you can check out an interview with the pair about a certain SCANA project from last year here. Prior to JWT, Bloom served as a copywriter at the likes of Atlanta-based IQ Interactive.

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Well, no doubt they’ve certainly been on our radar over the past week or so, but this time, it’s not a defection but a promotion at Digitas that’s caught our attention. We’ve received confirmation that Kenneth Parks, currently EVP/executive managing director at the agency who’s working out of its New York office, is assuming the newly created role of Digitas North America chief marketing officer, effective  immediately.

Parks has been with Digitas for the last 15 years give or take, during which time he served as SVP/client relationships & new business for a few years at what was then Modem Media, and subsequently SVP/managing director of Digitas’ Stamford and Atlanta offices. As you’d probably expect from a CMO position, Parks will be responsible for new biz growth as well as marketing strategy.

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To expand on what tipsters were telling us yesterday, yes, Marc Blumberg, currently president at MEPlusYOU–aka the agency formerly known as imc2–is turning his attention to his consumer shoe brand that he launched with his wife, Sharon. So, what does this mean exactly? Well, the folks at the agency echo what we’ve been hearing on the Spy line, mainly that the 16-year vet will be transitioning into a “key advisor” role at the agency so he can split time between his shoe venture and MEPlusYOU. In turn, Blumberg will be transitioning some of his agency responsibilities to current MEPlusYOU CEO, Doug Levy.

We’re still trying to get the actual name of the shoe company launched by Blumberg, which we’ve been told is “built on the principles of relationship era marketing and conscious capitalism.” Take that as you will. Along with Blumberg’s transition, MEPlusYou says that it’s made a key addition to its leadership team, which will be revealed in the next week or so. Update: Blumberg’s shoe company is called Chooze Shoes.

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Well, here we go again. Despite assembling its self-proclaimed leadership “dream team” a month ago, a ph0ne call has confirmed that Atlanta-based Moxie Interactive has in the process parted ways with a couple of VP’s over the past week or so including Jennifer Jones, VP of social media strategy, and prior to that, VP/group program director, Rebecca Page.

There’s no word on other cuts at the moment, but Page spent the last two years at Moxie’s ATL hub, initially joining as program director on the agency’s Verizon business after spending time at the likes of IQ Interactive and what eventually became LBi Atlanta. Jones, meanwhile joined Moxie barely seven months ago after serving as an SVP at Publicis Groupe’s flagship strategic comms/engagement, MSL Group.

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Sorry for the small image size folks, but shitty photo-editing software will do that to you. Anyhow, perhaps taking a cue from JD Beebe and his quest to land displaced Goodby staffers post-Sprint loss a new gig, Santa Monica-based RPA is doing the same with “RPA Recruitable.”

This is the verbatim copy on the homepage: “It’s been a transformative 2013 for us, and while we look to the rest of the year and beyond with great hope and anticipation, there are some who unfortunately cannot make the journey with us. There is no community like the ad community. Let’s come together to help place the displaced. Browse our displaced associates by department and/or location and click or tap their tile for more info.” We’re determining how real deal Holyfield this is, but if true, it’s nice of an agency itself to help out their own former staffers, who range from broadcast to strategy to experiential. Your move, recruiters.

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We’ve contacted one Richard Tseng about this to determine its validity (Update: Yep, legit), but while we wait, here’s his apparent exit letter sent to friends at Arnold, where he’s spent the last 18 months serving as a copywriter on campaigns for Panasonic, CVS, truth, Volvo and more. For some reason, this note from the young creative, who‘s also freelanced at the likes of CP+B and Critical Mass, makes us want to watch a Game of Thrones marathon. Read on..

“In Canada’s frozen north, during a particularly harsh winter, a starving Eskimo tribe (Inuit for the politically correct) was forced to abandon their eldest matron on the ice. Being a tough old broad, she followed her clan for several days, making sure to keep just out of sight.

One day, a polar bear happened upon her. Taking her for a straggler and an easy meal it strolled up to her, mouth open, ready to swallow with one gulp. The Eskimo lady waited and, once in range, plunged her walking stick down the bear’s gullet.

Hours later the clansmen could see her, cresting a snow hill, dragging behind her enough meat to feed the whole tribe.

Times are tough, and circumstances beyond anybody’s control have dictated that I must leave. Totally understand. But, as Rahm Emanuel would say, “Never fucking waste a fucking crisis, fucker.” Which is another way of saying that it’s actually an opportunity. And I intend on seizing it.

So thanks to every member of this tribe called Arnold. It’s been an honor and pleasure working with you. I hope our paths cross again. Who knows? I might even be back one day. Hopefully with enough polar bear sushi to share.

In the words of a fellow young Canadian:

Never say never,
Rich Tseng”

Godspeed, sir.

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For whatever reason, the Razorfish camp has been unusually unresponsive since we started inquiring about this last week, but yes, it appears that executive creative director Rob Palmer has left the Publicis Groupe agency after nearly three years. Palmer, who served as ECD at Razorfish West but actually worked out of his home turf in Boise, initially joined the agency as creative director after co-running his own shop, Mitchell + Palmer. From what spies are telling us,Palmer’s recent departure preceded yet another round of cuts–though relatively small this time around–at Razorfish (we’re hearing anywhere from 5-10).

Anyhow, prior to Razorfish, Palmer spent some time as a CD on eBay while at Goodby, worked in a similar role at BBDO and served as CD for several years at W+K on accounts like ESPN and Nike.

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We’ve received confirmation that Alison Grippo has taken over as managing director of Huge’s San Francisco office, which she helped get up and running over the last year and now boasts a headcount of 30 staffers along with clients like Twitter and HomeAdvisor. Grippo, who has been with Huge since 2010 and also helped set up the IPG-owned digital agency’s London office, succeeds Wing Pepper in San Francisco.

From what we’ve been told, Pepper is taking a break from the agency world after twenty years and is planning on starting up his own operation. For the time being, though, he’s still consulting at Huge, where he’s spent the last two-and-a-half years, and helping out with Grippo’s transition. Prior to Huge, Pepper spent several years as an EVP on the account/digital side at MRM. As for Grippo, the new San Francisco MD most recently served as global director of program management and delivery. During her career, the exec has also worked at the likes of iCrossing and Razorfish.

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