W+K Shanghai’s Rob Campbell to leave agency for LA
Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai’s head of planning Rob Campbell is to leave the agency after seven years. The strategist and author of popular adland blog The Musings of an Opinionated Sod is leaving the agency next month for an as-of-yet unrevealed role in Los Angeles.
During his time at W+K, Campbell has handled strategy for clients such as Nike, Converse, Beats, Procter & Gamble, Chrysler and Disneyland Shanghai. He was also the leader of an incubator scheme for aspiring creatives called The Kennedys.
W+K Shanghai managing director Bryan Tilson said: “Rob has been an important part of W+K Shanghai over the last seven years and has played a big role in making this place great. We’re grateful to him for helping build strong strategic foundations for this office and believe he’s departing at a time when we’re stronger than ever. We sincerely wish him all the best in his new adventure in LA.”
Campbell joined first W+K from Sunshine, an agency he launched in Hong Kong, in September 2008. Prior to then, he worked on a six-month project for Google and has previously held the role of regional creative brand planning director for Y&R in Singapore.
Before moving to Asia, he founded and acted as creative planning director for creative agency Cynic in the United Kingdom and later in Australia. Known in the Asian industry for his irreverent sense of humour, Campbell was a speaker at Mumbrella 360 in 2013, where he gave a talk entitled ‘ Sadvertising, badvertising and madvertising’.
In another famous speech, Campbell called out Western media outlets for portraying the Chinese as “barbarians”.
W+K Shanghai has still to find a replacement for Campbell.
Eleanor Dickinson is the editor of Mumbrella Asia. Eleanor joined the Asia platform from Dubai, where she acted as senior reporter for Campaign Middle East.
Congrats Rob.
ReplyFlying United?
Thank you … it’s definitely bitter sweet, I’ve loved my time in China and Wieden, but it’s also time for both personal and professional reasons.
As for United … sadly I am, they’re the only ones who would let me take my cat on board … so maybe there’s a chance I won’t get to leave China after all, ha.
ReplyInsert ‘grab them by the p—y’ joke here.
ReplyWill be a big loss to the region. Best to Rob and family. To echo a piece of advice he gave me (and which stuck with me) when I left a previous job: have a ball!
ReplyNo need for any changes in footwear preferences in LA, then?
ReplyAll the best mate.
That sealed the deal Eaon.
ReplyBig loss for the hai, Rob. Let’s hope you’ll go somewhere good in LA.
ReplyGood luck with EVER finding a replacement for Campbell. He’s one of a kind in the best of ways.
ReplyThank you to everyone for the very nice words about my new adventure. I don’t deserve them, but I’m really grateful for them.
ReplyNo mention of TMSW Rob? Many congrats mate. You’ll kill it. Make sure you get a big enough place so I can bring the kids to stay.
ReplyThey didn’t mention my job at Asda either. I was the best yoghurt shelf stacker in Nottingham. Oh yes.
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