“Tor Myhren, the former creative director of Grey Advertising, was just poached by Apple to be its VP of Communications,” Avi Dan writes for Forbes. “The news has stunned Madison Avenue more than any agency acquisition or new business wins in recent years. And, in the end, it may have more to say about the future of the ad agency model.”
“This jaw dropping announcement is striking. Myhren is not just a bold-type agency name: He is considered by many to be the best creative director on Madison Avenue,” Dan writes. “I do not recall one other instance of where a top notch creative director joined an Advertiser to head an internal in-house agency. And make no mistake about it. Apple is building an in-house agency and, like everything else it builds, it aims at building the best agency, period. In recent months, it started hiring a slew of first-rate art directors and copywriters, and it’s moving more and more creative assignments in-house from its long-time agency, TBWA. Bringing in Myhren as de-facto creative director of its agency caps the formation of what may be the most awesome creative group anywhere, on or off Madison Avenue.”
“Apple, is the most influential American company. Reaching out to Madison Avenue and recruiting Myhren and other well-known creative luminaries is a game changer,” Dan writes. “I believe that more companies will follow suit and enlist top creative directors to head their internal creative teams. And that would be disruptive for traditional ad agencies.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As if Madison Avenue needed any more canaries.
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s executive changes hint at an even greater level of vertical integration to come – December 19, 2015
Global creative icon Tor Myhren leaves Grey for Apple – December 18, 2015
Apple assigns App Store oversight to Phil Schiller in apparent nod to developer issues – December 18, 2015
CEO Cook shakes up Apple’s management – December 17, 2015
Apple names Jeff Williams Chief Operating Officer, other executive additions and changes – December 17, 2015