Updated: Droga5 ECD Steve Coll departs to join With Collective with Droga creative chairman David Nobay returning full-time
Steve Coll speaking at this year’s Mumbrella360 conference
UPDATED: Steve Coll has departed Droga5 just 15 months after joining the struggling agency to become partner and chief creative officer with emerging digital creative agency With Collective.
His departure from the role of executive creative director at Droga sees creative chairman and industry veteran David Nobay returning full-time to the agency.
It was announced Coll was departing Havas Worldwide after three-and-a-half years to Droga5 in March last year, just days after it was revealed Droga5 had lost its largest clients with Wooloworths which moved across to Leo Burnett Sydney.
Droga 5 x 4
Seems eerily similar to this rejuvination manifesto only 12 months ago – http://www.adnews.com.au/news/.....-naysayers
Interesting read considering the above.
I’m sure Steve quit and has an excellent job to go to – he’s been target #1 for every major creative opening of the last 18 months
but…ECDs and Planners have come and gone but the two core leaders are still there and presiding over a company that has imploded over the last two years. How long can they continue?
Nobays second manifesto esque ramblings in 12 months to deflect bad news. Start doing great work rather than talking about it and you won’t need to produce this spin.
Soon Droga5 will refer to the number of employees. Which is a shame. I’m still waiting for them to do something awesome, you know, like they keep doing in NY
I feel sorry for Steve, there was nothing that bloke could do to turn around that ship.
The ‘creative culture’ that was lost purely came down to micromanagement from all corners of the business and genuine creative people fleeing like the plague. A sentiment echoed in a few other businesses losing boatloads of clients at the moment.
Why does he have a gun – is that a creative thing?
“But he needed to be more focused. He now recognises that. And that’s all I need to know”
A bit of a dressing down in the press release.
Press Releases are the new 360 Performance Reviews
I could fix this shit in a heartbeat.
Step 1. Stop releasing press releases
Sometimes when I looked at great companies like this, and see how easily it could be turned around, it makes me sad for all those who will inevitably lose their jobs.
My favourite quote from another trade mag, “Nobay admits the furious momentum of yesteryear tipped the agency and his own disposition from one of “swagger” to “arrogance”.”
As a previous client of Droga5, this arrogance spread thru the agency from the top leaders down to the lowly account exec and it made every single meeting, brief or WIP a nightmare. You were never the client you had to pander to the Droga5 ego. Bullshit! No wonder so many clients walked.
Good on Nobody to acknowledge this was his making, but dude – too little too late. You’ve lost great brands and now a great creative.
I no longer see Droga as a force in Sydney just 20 people all living and breathing off the success of David and the New York office.
Good luck Steve, you are a great guy. I was surprised when you went to Droga and just a little happy you’ve left and that maybe we can work together again.
Meteoric success..44 staff after 5 years?
Time to lift the bar a little higher chaps.
Serious question:
“Coll will join as a partner and chief creative officer of the agency, although it is unclear whether he has taken equity.”
If you don’t have equity, are you really a partner? What kind of partner doesn’t have equity?
He may not have taken equity, but perhaps will be given it based on performance targets.
Had a similar structure myself.
Problem for D5 was that they embodied an approach and hubris from an era now gone. Good smart people but lacked foresight. Hoping they can reinvent and create good work and retain the wins.
Jaysus…how about you all stop with the Droga hate.
It’s childish, it’s boring and it’s intensity is completely unwarranted.
I don’t work there now, but I did for a short time…and I didn’t see anything like the behaviour quoted from @notsoarrogant ad guy.
Mate,(or lady) whoever you are, (and I have a pretty good idea who that is), you should really take a chill pill. You’re way too bitter. And just maybe, if you are the client you say you are, then you should ask yourself whether your expectations of agency pandering and arse-kissing might the problem here. Not D5.