August 14, 2019
VMLY&R has announced the appointment of Wayne Best to lead its creative department in New York. Best will report to Jason Xenopoulos, CEO of New York and co-CCO of North America.
“We are so pleased to add Wayne to our creative leadership team,” said Debbi Vandeven, Global Chief Creative Officer for VMLY&R. “He’s a wonderful addition to the strong group of creative leaders we have around the world.”
In his new role, Best will drive the creation of world-class creative work for clients including Dell Technologies in New York, a key market for the agency. He joins VMLY&R from McCann NY, where he was Co-Deputy CCO on the Verizon account, which won multiple Cannes Lions for the “First Responders” campaign.
“Wayne has proven himself to be an excellent creative leader with the ability to deliver creatively celebrated work that is highly effective,” said Jason, Xenopoulos, VMLY&R CEO New York and co-CCO, North America. “I am confident that his addition to our team in New York will continue to accelerate our abilities to produce groundbreaking work that shines a light on the future of our industry and drives real growth for Dell and our other clients.”
The announcement comes at a time of creative momentum for the VMLY&R network, which landed 31 Lions and 69 shortlists at this year’s Cannes Lions, including two Grand Prix and a Titanium Lion. VMLY&R’s client roster includes Wendy’s, Office Depot, the U.S. Navy, Pepperidge Farm, New Balance, Pfizer and more.
“Smart, talented people. Great clients. And an agency that has already made a seismic shift to adapt to the future of marketing. What’s not to love?” said Best. “I’m looking forward to working with the team to take VMLY&R to the next level.”
Prior to McCann, Best was the creative lead on Walmart, working with Saatchi, Publicis, and their partner agencies to shift perceptions of the brand. Before running Walmart, Best founded his own agency, Cog NYC, which led accounts including Boar’s Head and LG Appliances. He has also worked for JWT, TAXI NY, Fallon, Wieden + Kennedy, Kirshenbaum + Bond, Cliff Freeman & Partners and Ammirati & Puris.
As ECD at JWT, Best created the primetime CBS animated holiday special “Yes, Virginia” for Macy’s. His work for JetBlue, Cadbury, ESPN, Starbucks, Pepsi, Virgin Mobile, Amp’d Mobile, Staples, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Fox Sports, Halls, Macy’s, Adopt US Kids, GoDaddy and other clients has resulted in numerous Cannes Lions, One Show pencils, Effie’s, Webbies and the Jay Chiat Planning Award.
Wayne also spent 5 years as Chair of the AdCouncil’s Creative Review Committee and was a mentor in the 4A’s Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies program. He has been a judge at the One Show and jury chair for the Art Director’s Club Hybrid awards.