DDB NY has strengthened its management team with two promotions and two new hires. Melissa Martinez, former group business director, has been promoted to chief marketing officer, and Michael Collins, former global business director, has been upped to managing partner. In addition, Alexander Rea has been brought in as creative technology officer, and Kimberly Bernhardt will join the organization as managing partner.
Martinez joined DDB New York two and a half years ago, and has successfully led multiple integrated communications teams during her tenure. Most recently as group business director Martinez led integrated communications planning for the New York Lottery, and digital innovation initiatives and platform development for State Farm. In the newly created role of CMO, Martinez will be responsible for new business development, driving organic growth and leading key strategic marketing initiatives for the agency including introducing potential clients to DDB Flex, the agency’s new agency model for client service in the US.
Rea joins DDB New York as CTO from Framestore where he was head of creative technology. There, he worked on Lockheed Martin’s “Field Trip to Mars” which earned 19 Cannes Lions. Previous to Framestore he served as technology experience lead at Co: Collective. This new role is responsible for providing technology leadership and oversight for all of the agency’s projects and directs the technology strategy, development and execution. Rea’s new position is a modern creative refresh on the traditional role that experiments, invents and guides creative and strategic thinking to deliver innovative digital solutions.
As managing partner, Collins becomes further accountable for fostering an environment of collaboration and creativity, driving successful work for DDB New York’s clients, and building positive, enduring agency/client partnerships in his group, which includes clients such as Merck, Lilly, Huawei, and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies. Prior to assuming his new role, he led integrated agency teams for Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon global surgery business. In addition, he has extensive channel knowledge including digital, sales, advertising, database analytics, and PR.
Bernhardt joins the agency from Glamour, where she served as executive director of communications and had oversight of all communications, including brand development, PR, events, partnerships and special projects. In her role, she built a number of major brand initiatives that ranged from women’s issues and politics to fashion. She most recently spearheaded Glamour’s Women of the Year. Prior to Glamour, Bernhardt was the executive vice president at Edelman on the global and U.S. Unilever business. In her role, she provided the spectrum of communications for Dove and other marquee personal care brands.
Kim Gehrig Wins The DGA Award For Outstanding Achievement In Commercials
Kim Gehrig of Somesuch has won the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Award recognizing Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2025. The honor was announced and celebrated during the gala 78th DGA Awards ceremony on Saturday evening (2/7) at the Beverly Hilton.
This marked the third time in the last four years that Gehrig has won the coveted honor. She's been a nominee each of those four years.
This time around, Gehrig won on the basis of two entries: Nike’s “You Can’t Win. So Win.” for Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore.; and the Apple film “I’m Not Remarkable” via in-house agency Apple Marcom.
The latter piece celebrates how “disabled” students around the world use Apple products and accessibility features to get the full college experience--studying, socializing and achieving on their own terms.
Driven by the song “I’m Not Remarkable” by Kittyy & The Class, Deaf and “disabled” college students perform in a stirring musical number spanning college campuses, in dormitories at house parties and more. Through their collective voices, the students express a strong singular sentiment--that “remarkable” is a word that should be reserved for everyone.
Gehrig has an award-winning pedigree with Apple. She directed its accessibility short “The Greatest” in 2022 which went on to garner the primetime commercial Emmy Award, and helped her win the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for 2022.
As for Nike’s “You Can’t Win. So Win,” that spot made its broadcast debut on the 2025 Super Bowl. The work tackles the misconceptions that have perennially shackled women sports. Women athletes can’t stand out--or so they’re told. They can’t have an... Read More