Jason Rosario has been hired as chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer of BBDO Worldwide. Rosario brings over 14 years of experience, and a track record for driving change.
Rosario will be based in New York, report to BBDO Worldwide president and CEO Andrew Robertson, and partner with senior leadership to impact agency diversity policy and plans, recruitment, retention, training, education, and leverage of the network’s work to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, in the network, the industry, and society at large.
“We have a unique opportunity to transform BBDO, and the advertising industry at-large, through an intersectional and equitable lens. We want to continue to evolve our agency’s mindset to foster a new wave of inclusive culture and accountability, while, of course, doing great and resonant work for our clients. I’m excited to take on this next challenge at such an iconic agency and to see our progress in action,” said Rosario.
Rosario has worked with top clients including Netflix, Yahoo!, Spotify, Verizon Media Group, and Huffington Post, helping brands identify inclusive practices at the enterprise level. In 2017, he founded The Lives of Men, a social impact creative agency that explores themes around masculinity, mental health and culture. He has facilitated numerous workshops on allyship, psychological safety, race, and culture.
Prior to this, Rosario worked for Verizon Media Group as manager of global diversity and inclusion and was the executive producer and host of the Yahoo! News original web series Dear Men. He has a background in financial services and is a graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business. Rosario also sits on the board of Made of Millions, a non-profit organization changing the negative stigmas around mental health. In 2019 he was selected as one of Black Enterprise’s “BE Modern Men of Distinction.”
He begins at BBDO on September 8.
Comedy Director Declan Lowney Joins Merman For U.S. Representation
Comedy director Declan Lowney has been signed for representation in the American ad market by Merman US which maintains operations in New York and L.A. The deal extends the geography of Lowney’s relationship with Merman which has had him on its U.K. roster since 2021.
Most of Lowney’s work in the U.S. to date has been as a director and supervising producer on Apple TV+’s global smash hit Ted Lasso. Lowney received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Directing--for seasons one and three--as well a DGA nomination earlier this year. In his capacity as a producer on the series, he was part of the contingent that won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2022 for season two.
The Irish director’s first new commercial work in the U.S. market, produced by Merman, has been the latest in Allstate’s hilarious Mayhem saga, featuring the character actor Dean Winters as a deadpan, bruised and shape-shifting provocateur of catastrophes who wreaks havoc everywhere. In “Leafblower” Winters becomes an illegal “overpowered leafblower” blowing debris into traffic, causing an auto wreck. In a holiday spot promoting the Walmart Protection Plan by Allstate, Winter is an “Overworked Elf” who carelessly drops a bag of Christmas gifts down a working chimney, destroying a pile of new electronic devices. Allstate also will be dropping a soon to be announced third installment in the Mayhem series directed by Lowney.
“When I moved to the U.S. four years ago, one of the first ad campaigns I noticed was Allstate’s Mayhem spots,” said Lowney. “I loved the character’s glee and excitement at creating MAYHEM and thought...yea, I want to be part of that! I totally get the humor, and the visual gags play perfectly to my skill set.... Read More