VMLY&R has appointed Marcus Moshapalo as Executive Creative Director, effective 1 November 2022. He will be overseeing the creative teams in the Joburg office.
Moshapalo has 18 years’ agency experience behind him, during which he has worked on some of the country’s most iconic brands, making him well equipped for the heavy-hitting client partners he’ll be working with at VMLY&R.
“This was a key appointment for us, as the role encompasses some of our biggest accounts,” says Joint CEO Jarred Cinman. “We needed someone with the necessary experience who could deliver market-leading creative work. Marcus has proven that he can hold his own with the best in the business. We’re delighted to welcome him to the VMLY&R Joburg team.”
“I love VMLY&R’s vision, which is to make work that lives in people’s lives,” says Moshapalo. “What that means to me is building and fostering great relationships with both the amazing roster of clients and our very talented agency teams, ultimately making work that embodies that vision.”
He says the opportunity arrived at exactly the right time. “I was a bit of late bloomer in terms of my career path and trajectory. In a lot of ways, it was good because I got to focus on my craft and learn what kind of creative and leader I wanted to be. The opportunity came at the time when I felt I was ready for the next step on my journey.”
Aside from his experience, Moshapalo believes his temperament will add the most value. “I am deeply passionate about what I do. I can also be stubborn,” he says. “Hopefully the combination of these two qualities can help me identify and fight for work that really matters.”
Fun Facts About Marcus Moshapalo
On hobbies outside of work…
“From a very young age I was always a collector. Back then, it was comic books and video games. I had every generation of video game console and hundreds of comic books. As I’ve grown older, the love for visual and auditory media has grown. The video games are still there but music has become another one of my passions and I’ve become a crate digger. I have a collection of vinyls that grows daily. I’m addicted to finding rare and mostly forgotten albums. Being an art director, I also have a love of still and moving pictures, so much so that I am also dabbling in film directing.”
On why he loves his job…
“Advertising is one of the few industries where you can express yourself creatively and make things through different kinds of mediums. You can create games, short films, score music and constantly find ways to engage with the consumer. You’re always seeking new ways to tell stories that feel familiar but somehow new.”
ISSUED BY VMLY&R
For more information on VMLY&R:
Press Enquiries:
Ben Wagner
Head of PR & Marketing
About VMLY&R
VMLY&R is a global brand and customer experience agency that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands. Made up of more than 11,000 employees worldwide, the agency has principal offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. VMLY&R works with client partners including Absa, BAT, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Nando’s, New Balance, Pfizer, Vodacom and Wendy's. For more information, visit www.vmlyr.com. VMLY&R is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP).