Grey Group has unveiled a new leadership team exclusively devoted to creating work for The Coca-Cola Company. The team will be part of WPP Open X, the bespoke integrated agency model created to service TCCC, and will harness Grey’s expansive global network to tap into world-class talent across a range of disciplines and geographies with agility and intentionality.
This distinguished team comprises the following: as creative lead, Hope Nardini is renowned for award-winning work including Instacart’s The World is Your Cart and MasterCard True Name Card. Raig Adolfo, as head of strategy, is a strategist with a track record of success including the original Dove Real Beauty and Burger King Whopper Detour campaigns.
Brian Weston, global client lead, is a veteran of Grey with a history of steering award-winning work for brands including NFL, Kellogg’s, P&G and Volvo. David Toussaint, CX Lead, brings a wealth of customer experience expertise having launched Coca-Cola No Sugar in Asia Pacific and award-winning holiday campaign, Christmas Always Finds Its Way. Beth Rolfs, a data maven at the forefront of insights, rounds out the cross-disciplinary team as global data lead.
The fully-integrated team will complement each other in delivering ideas on behalf of The Coca-Cola Company globally. They will collaborate closely with Thiago Cruz, chief creative officer of Grey New York, and Gabriel Schmitt, global chief creative Officer of Grey.
Hope Nardini, global executive creative director and Grey’s newly appointed Global Creative Lead dedicated to The Coca-Cola Company, who joins from Droga5 New York, has recently been celebrated as Campaign US Creative Team of the Year, honored in ADWEEK’s Creative 100, and boasts accolades such as a Cannes Grand Prix and D&AD Black Pencil. Raig Adolfo, Saatchi NY former co-President, is returning to Grey for a second tour, and brings highly relevant experience, having also led teams at 360i, and FCBNY. Grey veteran Brian Weston holds numerous Cannes Lion and EFFIE awards for campaigns he’s led on behalf of market leaders like P&G.
Andrew Keller, chief creative officer of WPP Open X, commented on the partnership: “We are delighted to partner with Grey’s exceptional team and have them join WPP Open X. This collaboration brings together some of the industry’s brightest minds under the leadership of Thiago Cruz and Gabriel Schmitt, and we believe this dynamic team will continue to infuse the Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio with fresh thinking, enabling us to bring unforgettable experiences to audiences worldwide.”
Thiago Cruz, chief creative officer at Grey New York, emphasized, “The Coca-Cola Company is one of the most creatively ambitious companies in the world, aligning perfectly with Grey’s creative ambition and our obsession with work that creates both cultural and business value. Hope, and our dedicated leadership team, not only embodies a profound passion for the iconic portfolio of brands, but will also leverage the advantages of our borderless creativity model to continuously deliver Famously Effective work across platforms, geographies, and brands with speed and precision.”
Fueled by Grey’s entrepreneurial spirit and the convergence of diverse talents from different markets, the newly formed team is already generating impressive momentum within WPP Open X on behalf of The Coca-Cola Company. They have been awarded lead creative agency responsibilities on two assignments within the sparkling flavors and emerging brand categories, with new work expected to launch in the coming months.