Andy Bird is joining the Publicis Worldwide North America leadership team as chief creative officer for its New York flagship office, reporting to North America CEO Andrew Bruce. Bird is currently executive creative director, Publicis London, and will continue to lead the creative vision for key global clients in that role during a transition period. Bird will divide his time between London and New York, as the offices partner to ensure a smooth transition. Bird has been working increasingly on Publicis Worldwide global clients including Nestlé, P&G and Cadillac, and he will permanently reside in New York starting in September.
Bird joined Publicis London as ECD in July 2012 and since then has cultivated a talented team of senior creatives who have delivered outstanding work and won numerous awards. Recognition has included D&AD, Gold at Cannes and Gold at The One Show, which has resulted in Publicis London becoming the 5th highest-ranking UK creative agency in the Gunn Report 2014.
Prior to joining Publicis, Bird was creative director at Ogilvy&Mather where he oversaw accounts including Europcar, Expedia, The Spectator, Castrol, World Wildlife Foundation, Kraft, Comfort and MTV.
He spent the majority of his career at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, where he became one of the company’s youngest ever board members and head of art & design by the age of 27. In 2000, he was one of four executives who left to set up Soul Advertising, the first and last BBH breakaway agency, and later a founding partner of Nitro London where he worked for clients including Coca-Cola and Nike and was responsible for the award winning GLA “One London” campaign.
Over his career, Bird has won many high profile creative awards on the global stage including Cannes Lions and D&AD pencils for clients such as American Express, Mattel, Levi’s, Dockers, Boddingtons, Lynx and Audi. He was also the creative behind the highly acclaimed Kick Homophobia out of Football campaign.
Bird now completes a sr. leadership team at Publicis North America, which includes such notable additions over the past 18 months as chief strategy officer Carla Serrano, chief digital officer Dawn Winchester and chief marketing officer Julie Levin.
Review: Director-Writer Megan Park’s “My Old Ass”
They say tripping on psychedelic mushrooms triggers hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and nervousness. In the case of Elliott, an 18-year-old restless Canadian, they prompt a visitor.
"Dude, I'm you," says the guest, as she nonchalantly burns a 'smores on a campfire next to a very high and stunned Elliott. "Well, I'm a 39-year-old you. What's up?"
What's up, indeed: Director-writer Megan Park has crafted a wistful coming-of-age tale using this comedic device for "My Old Ass" and the results are uneven even though she nails the landing.
After the older Elliott proves who she is — they share a particular scar, childhood memories and a smaller left boob — the time-travel advice begins: Be nice to your brothers and mom, and stay away from a guy named Chad.
"Can we hug?" asks the older Elliott. They do. "This is so weird," says the younger Elliott, who then makes things even weirder when she asks for a kiss — to know what it's like kissing yourself. The older Elliott soon puts her number into the younger's phone under the name "My Old Ass." Then they keep in touch, long after the effects of the 'shrooms have gone.
Part of the movie's problem that can't be ignored is that the two Elliotts look nothing alike. Maisy Stella plays the coltish young version and a wry Aubrey Plaza the older. Both turn in fine performances but the visuals are slowly grating.
The arrival of the older Elliott coincides with her younger self counting down the days until she can flee from her small town of 300 in the Muskoka Lakes region to college in Toronto, where "my life is about to start." She's sick of life on a cranberry farm.
Park's scenes and dialogue are unrushed and honest as Elliott takes her older self's advice and tries to repair... Read More