Rob Campbell to depart M&C Saatchi's Sunshine for Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai

Campbell will relocate from Hong Kong to Shanghai for the role, which is effective in July.

Campbell replaces Nick Barham, who was appointed co-ECD of the agency last year.

According to Campbell, he is hoping to “instill a different view of what planning can be, and maybe instill commercial and creative imagination so that we can maybe help clients in ways we haven’t had the opportunity to do before. I want to see what positive damage we can do”.

He joins the agency from Sunshine, which he launched in September 2008, months after he left his role as Y&R’s regional creative brand planning director based in Singapore.

At the time, he rejoined his former boss Chris Jaques to launch the consultancy. Of his departure from Sunshine, Campbell adds that “I love Chris to death” and also that his colleagues understand his decision for leaving. Sunshine’s clients have also been notified.

“This will be my third city in about 18 months, and I love Shanghai. This is a regional gig and, really, I love Wieden + Kennedy. It’s one of the few places that I know I have to do and I can't say that about many agencies,” he said.

Campbell will report to Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai’s managing director Kel Hook and the agency’s creative management team, co-ECDs Nick Cohen and Nick Barham.

“One of the things that was really attractive about Rob is his knowledge of the region,” Hook said of the appointment. “He also has a very entrepreneurial approach to planning, which really fits with the culture of Wieden + Kennedy. He has a strong desire to find innovative ways to understand the culture of clients’ businesses, and the type of work he wants to do is what our clients have.”