Emily Tan
Dec 18, 2015

Droga5's David Nobay starts new Australian agency with Publicis Worldwide

SYDNEY - Publicis Worldwide is teaming up with David Nobay, formerly of the now closed Droga5 Sydney, to launch its creative boutique digital agency Marcel in Australia.

Nobay (left), Macgregor and Baxter
Nobay (left), Macgregor and Baxter

Nobay (widely known as “Nobby”) launched Droga5 Sydney eight years ago. He took a short break from the industry following the agency's closure

“When Droga5 closed its doors here, I had two options: either lay back and take a breather or get straight back in the game," commented Nobay. "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 [Macgregor], my strategic partner next year, is a “Marcel original” clinched it. Game on.”

Nobay will lead the new agency when it officially launches in early January and will join the Publicis Worldwide Global Creative Board. He will also take up the newly created role of creative chairman of Publicis Worldwide Australia, working closely with CEO Andrew Baxter and Iona Macgregor, chief strategy officer. 

"Nobby’s talent and experience make him the perfect person to lead Marcel Sydney in this exciting new step," said Arthur Sadoun, global CEO of Publicis Worldwide.

Marcel Sydney will launch with a major foundation client; Heineken-owned Tiger Beer, which used to work with Droga5 Sydney. The new agency will act as Tiger’s lead agency globally. 

“We instinctively feel that our creative journey with Nobby is far from over," said Mie Leng Wong, Tiger Beer’s global marketing head. "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.”

Marcel describes itself as a "creative hotshop" and attributes its name to Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, the original founder of Publicis. The boutique network has offices in Shanghai, Paris, New York and São Paulo. Marcel Sydney will be based within Publicis Worldwide’s Sydney offices in Millers Point.

“The launch of Marcel Sydney is a truly exciting moment for us in APAC," said Loris Nold, CEO of Publicis APAC. "We’ve been focusing on attracting the best global talents to Publicis APAC, and Nobby will be a fantastic partner to drive creative excellence and help elevate our impact for clients beyond expectations.”

 

Source:
Campaign Asia

Follow us

Top news, insights and analysis every weekday

Sign up for Campaign Bulletins

Related Articles

Just Published

5 hours ago

Bitter chocolate: The fallout of a poorly planned ...

The fintech’s abrupt restrictions on withdrawals and debit card spending have triggered a backlash, denting its reputation in Singapore.

6 hours ago

Too old for the party, too young to leave—the ...

There comes a time when no amount of Adidas Sambas or Botox can hide the fact that you’re no longer the right person to give advice on micro-influencers. Alison McKinnon on the realities of ageing in advertising—and why she’s not done yet.

7 hours ago

Six ad agencies under scrutiny in Indonesian Bank ...

The case has already led to multiple arrests and a raid on former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil’s home.

9 hours ago

Why the adtech ecosystem continues to struggle with ...

Data segments leave a lot to be desired, and the solutions put in place to fix them are complicated. Campaign talks to experts about transparency issues and whether standardisation is necessary.