WRC APPOINTS PETTENGELL AS CD

WRC has appointed ex Saatchi creative Steve Pettengell as its new Creative Director, replacing Nigel Corbett, who left on March 23 to take a shareholding in boutique independent Sugar.
British-born Pettengell has spent the past two and a half years at Saatchi & Saatchi as a creative troubleshooter.
WRC Managing Director Murray Reid says the two-month search for a CD who thinks outside the square has been extensive and rigorous: “The WRC model is unconventional in creative terms – it’s all about using multi-discipline thinking across all channels, integration on every level – and that’s a real challenge for most creatives.
“Steve is a great fit. He relishes the strategy and problem solving part of client work – and with terrific experience in New Zealand, the UK and the US in branding, digital, direct marketing and advertising disciplines – he’ll lead our creative thinking.”
His New Zealand client experience spans extensive work for Telecom together with campaigns for TV One, Lexus, Toyota, Holden, Simpson Grierson, Capital+Merchant and Heineken.
Pettengell says: “I’ve never seen a CD role that fits my belief in multi-disciplinary and integrated work, until this one came along at WRC. I’m excited by this melding of disciplines with an agency that defies conventional advertising thinking. True integration is something I’m passionate about.
“Of course, the prospect of working again collaboratively with DDB’s Executive Creative Director Toby Talbot, with whom I worked closely at Saatchi & Saatchi is another great reason to join WRC.”
“Steve is a real maverick”, says Talbot. “This industry is full of Jack-of-all-trade-master-of-none creatives. Steve really is good at everything. Apart from shaving, that is.”
Prior to his time at Saatchi & Saatchi, he worked for Meares Taine, which followed London-based work for British Telecom. Steve earlier spent four years in New Zealand in the mid-1990’s as Creative Group Head at Terabyte during its heyday in the early digital era.
He has also worked as Creative Group Head at the acclaimed design house, Meta Design in San Francisco with clients including Intel and Sun Microsystems together with Nike.
Starting on May 21, Pettengell’s role at WRC will also include working as Creative Director to sister company Mango Communications, the only public relations agency in the country with its own CD.