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Droga5 Sydney boss takes Tiger Beer as founding client to launch Marcel in Australia

David Nobay, the founder of now defunct creative agency Droga5 Sydney, is setting up a new branch of Publicis Groupe’s creative shop Marcel in Australia – and taking Droga5’s last remaining client Tiger Beer with him.

David Nobay, MacGregor and Baxter

David Nobay, MacGregor and Baxter

Droga5 Sydney won the global Tiger Beer account in May 2014, with Nobay teaming up with Mie-Leng Wong, Tiger’s global brand director.

The agency went on to produce one of the brand’s most ambitious creative projects yet, ‘Uncage’, a campaign to “unleash the creative side of Tiger.” Droga5 was very recently working on its final shoot for a new Tiger Beer project, Mumbrella understands.

Wong commented in a statement: “We instinctively feel that our creative journey with Nobby [Nobay’s nickname] is far from over. We’re delighted to be his founding client and excited by the strategic and creative firepower we can now rely upon across the Marcel global network.”

Nobay will lead the Australian operation of a Marcel brand that has offices in Paris, New York, Shanghai and Sao Paulo.

Publicis Worldwide Australia CEO Andrew Baxter will be involved in the management team as will Iona Macgregor, chief strategy officer.

Nobay has previously been with Publicis agencies including a stint as executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi in Australia. The agency will be based in Publicis’ complex in Millers Point in Sydney.

Baxter said: “We’ve been considering the idea of launching Marcel in this market for some time, but had been waiting to find the right leader. When Nobby became available, it was a no-brainer”.

Nobay added: “When Droga5 closed its doors here, I had two options: either lay back and take a breather or get straight back in the game. A single call from Paris made my decision a simple one.”

“Marcel is special. Anne de Maupeou, Marcel’s creative leader in France is someone I instantly connected with. And the fact that Iona, my Strategic Partner next year, is a ‘Marcel original’ clinched it. Game on,” he said.

Tiger’s decision to appoint Droga5 started from a meeting between the agency’s founder David Droga, and Mie-Leng Wong at advertising festival Cannes Lions, just after Heineken’s acquisition of Tiger Beer in 2012.

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