Hapa Represents · Intel for our production partners
The Hapa Slate
Who moved, what shot, who's pitching, and what's open in commercial production. Pulled from the trades, cut down to what matters, twice a week.
Roll001
DateThu · Sep 24
CoversSep 10–24
SceneSample cut
Who moved
10- Andrew Robertson is now CEO of Omnicom Advertising, effective immediately. He was BBDO Worldwide chairman. Troy Ruhanen retires.
- Chris Garbutt joins Brandtech Group as CCO. Previously global CCO at TBWA Worldwide (5 yrs) and CCO at Ogilvy Paris (8 yrs).
- Sadie Thoma is R/GA's first global chief business officer, after nearly 15 years at Google.
- Liz Rutgersson named CEO of Assembly. Connie Chan becomes CEO of Assembly APAC.
- Melissa Fein moves from Australia to lead Accenture Song Media US, starting Oct 1.
- Andrea Palmer named CEO of Assembled Intelligence after nearly 20 years at Publicis, including 2+ as CEO of PHM.
- Jennifer Wilson, WPP CFO, leaves for Diageo after three years.
- Nico Poalillo, commercial director, joins General Motors to lead its Global Visualisation Studio.
- Rebecca Sharon named Partner and Managing Director at Obsessed Media (was group account director at Noble People).
- Jenny Darling named Chief Financial and Operations Officer at the Ad Council.
New work
18 spots with creditsAlso out: NASCAR "Swear Jar" (72andSunny), Burger King "Le Nugguette" (Mojo Supermarket), Hellmann's "America's Sandwich" (VML), HomeGoods Chicago (Fallon), Poshmark and Nutrafol (nice&frank), Samsung "Switchers" (Chromista), IKEA × Skyrim (Mother).
Pharma pulse
12- Open pitchDulcolax (Boehringer Ingelheim) has called a global creative agency review.
- Vertex / Journavx adds Lindsey Vonn to its athlete roster (Jayson Tatum, DiJonai Carrington, Hunter Dobbins) for its non-opioid pain campaign.
- AbbVie becomes the PGA Tour's official pharma sponsor with "Birdies for Brain Health," starting at the Presidents Cup.
- AstraZeneca runs its first fully AI-generated ad, for Breztri. It stars llamas.
- Cologuard Plus goes telenovela with Gabriela Spanic for a Spanish-language screening push.
- Shionogi / Xocova "Make the Call" COVID-prevention campaign from The Bloc.
- Compass Pathways HCP campaign for treatment-resistant depression, "Change the Tune," from The Considered.
- Sun Pharma teams with designer Christian Siriano on alopecia patient stories.
- BrightFocus Foundation "Stop Alzheimer's Disease" with Andre Royo, from RaffertyWeiss.
- BetterHelp goes in-house for its "We Believe in Better" :30.
- Ardelyx / Ibsrela first CTV spot uses static safety visuals, built around recent FDA untitled letters. FDA also hit Travere's Filspari visual aid.
- Allison (Stagwell) launches Allison Worldwide Health Group.
Pitches & business
8- ProductionAICP, APA and EPA issue a joint call for holding companies to drop "anti-competitive" bidding and return to an open triple-bid system.
- ProductionWPP Production pulled internal guidance telling staff to "actively convince" clients to send all production in-house and skip triple bids, after backlash.
- WPP opens Devon's Point, a flagship production facility in East London.
- FlixBus appoints Mother (Berlin) as global lead creative agency.
- Coca-Cola keeps pitching creative. Ogilvy reportedly leads the latest round.
- PepsiCo skipped a competitive review and handed media to Publicis. The industry is asking if the pitch model is broken.
- WHITE64 rebrands as Worst Kept Secret (Kerry Beutel, President).
- Parallel Post launches, founded by editors Hanna Sturwold and James K. Crouch.
Signings
4- Anton Corbijn signs with Merman US for commercials and branded entertainment.LBB · Sep 22
- Dugan Gundelfinger joins World War Seven.
- Blair Vermette (Toronto) joins Smoke&Oakum and keeps running his AI-led studio Rabbithole.
- Nicolás Méndez (Rosalía "Berghain") signs with Caviar Paris for France.
Dates & deadlines
4- Ad Age 2027 A-List & Creativity Awards: entries open, new categories added.
- MM+M 2027 Pinnacle Awards: nominations open (7th year, medical marketing leaders).
- Kinsale Sharks 2026: winners out, including Best New Talent.
- Ad Age Leading Women Luncheon: invites out, date to be announced.
Hapa Represents · Intel for our production partners
The Hapa Slate
Who moved, what shot, who's pitching, and what's open in commercial production. Pulled from the trades, cut down to what matters, twice a week.
Roll001
DateThu · Sep 24
CoversSep 10–24
SceneSample cut
Who moved
10- Andrew Robertson is now CEO of Omnicom Advertising, effective immediately. He was BBDO Worldwide chairman. Troy Ruhanen retires.
- Chris Garbutt joins Brandtech Group as CCO. Previously global CCO at TBWA Worldwide (5 yrs) and CCO at Ogilvy Paris (8 yrs).
- Sadie Thoma is R/GA's first global chief business officer, after nearly 15 years at Google.
- Liz Rutgersson named CEO of Assembly. Connie Chan becomes CEO of Assembly APAC.
- Melissa Fein moves from Australia to lead Accenture Song Media US, starting Oct 1.
- Andrea Palmer named CEO of Assembled Intelligence after nearly 20 years at Publicis, including 2+ as CEO of PHM.
- Jennifer Wilson, WPP CFO, leaves for Diageo after three years.
- Nico Poalillo, commercial director, joins General Motors to lead its Global Visualisation Studio.
- Rebecca Sharon named Partner and Managing Director at Obsessed Media (was group account director at Noble People).
- Jenny Darling named Chief Financial and Operations Officer at the Ad Council.
New work
18 spots with creditsAlso out: NASCAR "Swear Jar" (72andSunny), Burger King "Le Nugguette" (Mojo Supermarket), Hellmann's "America's Sandwich" (VML), HomeGoods Chicago (Fallon), Poshmark and Nutrafol (nice&frank), Samsung "Switchers" (Chromista), IKEA × Skyrim (Mother).
Pharma pulse
12- Open pitchDulcolax (Boehringer Ingelheim) has called a global creative agency review.
- Vertex / Journavx adds Lindsey Vonn to its athlete roster (Jayson Tatum, DiJonai Carrington, Hunter Dobbins) for its non-opioid pain campaign.
- AbbVie becomes the PGA Tour's official pharma sponsor with "Birdies for Brain Health," starting at the Presidents Cup.
- AstraZeneca runs its first fully AI-generated ad, for Breztri. It stars llamas.
- Cologuard Plus goes telenovela with Gabriela Spanic for a Spanish-language screening push.
- Shionogi / Xocova "Make the Call" COVID-prevention campaign from The Bloc.
- Compass Pathways HCP campaign for treatment-resistant depression, "Change the Tune," from The Considered.
- Sun Pharma teams with designer Christian Siriano on alopecia patient stories.
- BrightFocus Foundation "Stop Alzheimer's Disease" with Andre Royo, from RaffertyWeiss.
- BetterHelp goes in-house for its "We Believe in Better" :30.
- Ardelyx / Ibsrela first CTV spot uses static safety visuals, built around recent FDA untitled letters. FDA also hit Travere's Filspari visual aid.
- Allison (Stagwell) launches Allison Worldwide Health Group.
Pitches & business
8- ProductionAICP, APA and EPA issue a joint call for holding companies to drop "anti-competitive" bidding and return to an open triple-bid system.
- ProductionWPP Production pulled internal guidance telling staff to "actively convince" clients to send all production in-house and skip triple bids, after backlash.
- WPP opens Devon's Point, a flagship production facility in East London.
- FlixBus appoints Mother (Berlin) as global lead creative agency.
- Coca-Cola keeps pitching creative. Ogilvy reportedly leads the latest round.
- PepsiCo skipped a competitive review and handed media to Publicis. The industry is asking if the pitch model is broken.
- WHITE64 rebrands as Worst Kept Secret (Kerry Beutel, President).
- Parallel Post launches, founded by editors Hanna Sturwold and James K. Crouch.
Signings
4- Anton Corbijn signs with Merman US for commercials and branded entertainment.LBB · Sep 22
- Dugan Gundelfinger joins World War Seven.
- Blair Vermette (Toronto) joins Smoke&Oakum and keeps running his AI-led studio Rabbithole.
- Nicolás Méndez (Rosalía "Berghain") signs with Caviar Paris for France.
Dates & deadlines
4- Ad Age 2027 A-List & Creativity Awards: entries open, new categories added.
- MM+M 2027 Pinnacle Awards: nominations open (7th year, medical marketing leaders).
- Kinsale Sharks 2026: winners out, including Best New Talent.
- Ad Age Leading Women Luncheon: invites out, date to be announced.