R/GA Hires Top Creative Robert Rasmussen from JWT Joins as Executive Creative Director

NEW YORK, July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- R/GA, the agency for the digital age, is pleased to announce that Robert Rasmussen, 38, has joined the agency as executive creative director on the Nike account, a position previously held by Nick Law, now chief creative officer, NA. In this role, Rasmussen will guide the creative vision and foster innovative concepts across the account that includes Nike+, Nike Running, NIKEiD, Nike Basketball, Nike Women, Nike Gridiron, NikeStore, and Nike.com. He will lead a large team and ensure creative excellence for campaigns as varied as branded applications, online advertising, broadband video advertising, mobile, and retail. Rasmussen will report to Law.

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"Robert is the perfect choice to lead the Nike team because he can connect with customers in new and innovative ways-and has the ability to create compelling narratives," said Law. "As U.S. interactive agency of record for Nike, R/GA produces work that cuts across a wide range of disciplines, and we needed someone like Robert with strong but diverse creative skills."

Rasmussen comes to R/GA with exceptional credentials and many notable career accomplishments that span award-winning traditional storytelling campaigns, integrated engagements across media, and cutting-edge interactive work. He spent more than seven years at Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) Portland, where he was mentored by celebrated creatives Hal Curtis, Chuck McBride and John Jay. While there, he created campaigns for Nike's multiple business units and categories, which range from Nike Golf to Brand Jordan. His deep knowledge of the Nike brand and ability to bring campaign ideas across channels will be leveraged in his new position at R/GA.

"Robert's traditional and interactive agency experience, combined with his knowledge of and long history working with Nike, makes him the perfect person for this position," according to Bob Greenberg, CEO and global chief creative officer at R/GA. "He has also been incredibly successful in leading and inspiring large teams-and delivering positive results for his clients."

Rasmussen honed his strong storytelling skills while he was a senior art director at W+K New York, working closely with Ty Montague. He developed his interactive skills by looking for new ways to reach consumers. Leading the creative direction on the Sega account, he conceived one of the first successful fractured narrative campaigns in 2004-Beta-7-which redefined how a brand established a two-way dialogue with its customers. The campaign included various sites, viral video, blogs, television spots, print, and direct mail, lasting four months with more than two million participants. It was the first viral campaign that really blurred the lines between advertising and culture.

Most recently, Rasmussen was recruited by Ty Montague at JWT as the creative director on the entire JetBlue account. Because the work was integrated across channels, Rasmussen brought together the interactive and traditional creatives into one team, fostering a collaborative environment. One of the initiatives included the JetBlue Story Booth, an interactive video installation that appeared in 12 cities across the country, gathering stories from brand evangelists. The videos became the voice of the campaign and the footage was used across multiple channels.

"R/GA started a truly different kind of agency, with fully integrated teams who are encouraged to create innovative big ideas that are not defined by the channels in which they are consumed," says Rasmussen. Continuing, "These integrated teams possess knowledge of products, technology, and social interaction leading to innovative ways for clients to connect with their audience. This environment encourages a new way of thinking about brands, and I look forward to joining the team."

Over the course of his career, Rasmussen has received numerous awards across categories in integrated, traditional, and interactive from the most prestigious shows: the Cannes Gold Lion in radio, Gold Pencils from the One Show and One Show Interactive, the Art Directors Club Gold Cube, and a Grand Clio.

About R/GA

R/GA (http://www.rga.com/), the agency for the digital age, serves Fortune 500 companies and world-class marketers such as Avaya, L'Oreal Paris, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Nokia, Subaru, and Verizon. R/GA builds brands by transforming the way people interact with them, creating engaging, user-centric experiences that have the power to change customers' perceptions.

Founded in 1977, R/GA has received the top creative awards for film, broadcast, and interactive. R/GA is part of The Interpublic Group , one of the world's largest advertising and marketing services organizations.