People on the Move

The-Artery has added Elad Offer as ECD/head of 2D and Yuval Levy as VFX supervisor and director.

Offer brings over 20 years experience as a visual effects supervisor, producer, and Flame artist to The-Artery in NYC. The creative VFX vet has played an integral role in creating content for leading brands including Apple and Microsoft while working at advertising agencies and VFX houses. He spent many years freelancing as a VFX supervisor and lead Flame artist at Framestore and previously, The Mill. He’s also been the owner and creative director at production company Adorable Monsters since 2011. 

During his career, Offer has also worked with some of Hollywood’s top directors and producers on feature films including Pearl Harbor, Moulin Rouge and Get Smart, as well as music videos for Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, Britney Spears and more. Notably, he was also part of the MTV Video Music Award-winning team for Outkast’s classic, “Hey Ya.”

Levy, meanwhile, boasts two decades of VFX experience of his own, spending half that period of time steadily moving up the ranks at Gravity New York (formerly RhinoFX) from CG supervisor/head of CG to VFX/digital supervisor and creative director. Along the way, he’s lent his talents to features such as Universal Pictures’ The Adjustment Bureau, Columbia Pictures’ The Other Guys and Warner Brothers’ Crazy Stupid Love.

On the advertising side, Levy made his mark with the well-known, long-running Ford F-150 campaign--which he designed, directed and supervised for the Ford Motor Company--along with other high-profile work for brands including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Coca-Cola. He also spent five years in Toronto, supervising commercials and documentary films for National Geographic and The History Channel.

While Levy has successfully traversed the film and advertising worlds, he has also infused his effects and design sensibilities into the art world. He began doing so in 2014 by collaborating with renowned artist Clifford Ross to create a series entitled “The Digital Wave” which entailed large, immersive screens of ocean waves. The work was inspired by Ross’ prior “Hurricane Wave” series depicting the ever-changing forms of ocean waves during storms. Variations of the pieces were displayed in museums including MASS MoCA, The Parrish Art Museum, COAL + ICE Exhibition and the Climate Festival in San Francisco as well as in private collections.

This collaboration with Ross led to numerous experimental and experiential works, and the creation of multiple art/video installations utilizing high-resolution projections for Ross’ collaboration with The Orchestra of St. Luke’s for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival. Levy continues to experiment and research the boundaries of digital art as a media and as art form, including delving into virtual and augmented reality, designing for startup companies in the game industry, and ideating for interactive experiences for major brands.

With their arrival, Offer and Levy will each play a pivotal role in advancing The-Artery’s mission to spearhead tech innovation and influence, which is already reflected in the company’s capabilities that have extended from visual effects and post-production to design, experience, and TV/film production.

“This is a whole different ball game from our perspective,” said Vico Sharabani, founder and CCO of The-Artery. “[Working with] the director, brand and agency producing and doing the visual effects that’s soup-to-nuts is definitely something that we want to do more of. We’ve proven the high quality over the years but now with multiple directors and the R&D in new worlds, real-time [projects], Metaverse, etc.”

Jackie Stevenson has been promoted to the newly created position of chief growth officer for Interpublic Group (IPG) EMEA. In her new role, Stevenson will accelerate innovation, creativity, and growth by advancing IPG’s collaborative model, including the further integration of IPG’s creative and communications capabilities with its media, data and technology infrastructure, in order to help drive business results for clients in the region.

This is IPG’s first executive appointment at the holding company level for EMEA under CEO Philippe Krakowsky, illustrating the holding company’s commitment to, and investment in, the region. Working closely with agency leaders across EMEA, Stevenson will focus on sustainable, collaborative growth for IPG companies. IPG currently provides collaborative solutions to major marketers in the region across client sectors, including technology, healthcare, automotive and FMCGs.

Philippe Krakowsky, CEO of Interpublic Group, commented, “IPG has a winning collaborative culture that drives client success in a complex and evolving market. Jackie has a background that spans direct, digital, creative and specialized communications, with deep experience creating business impact for marketers. She’s the ideal person to help us deliver open architecture solutions, where our agencies come together to help brands succeed in a digital world.”

Krakowsky added, “The EMEA region is a key strategic market for our clients, and we are looking forward to expanding our presence in the region as we continue to grow alongside leading global and local marketers.”

Stevenson is based in London and will report to Simon Bond, global chief growth officer, IPG. She steps into the role after serving as CEO of The Brooklyn Brothers, an award-winning global creative agency which she co-founded in 2008. The Brooklyn Brothers was acquired by IPG agency Golin in 2016, with offices in London, New York, and Brazil. Stevenson will take on the role of global chair of The Brooklyn Brothers through 2022.

“We found a brilliant home for our agency in IPG and couldn’t want for a more collaborative and future-facing culture that believes in the power of building great brands,” added Stevenson. “Combine that unique talent and creativity with the precision, accountability and scale of IPG’s data and technology, media, production and entertainment capabilities and I can’t think of a better place to be to help the world’s best brands achieve long-term, sustainable growth. I’m delighted to take on this role at a key time for our clients, our people and agencies across EMEA.”

Prior to co-founding The Brooklyn Brothers, Stevenson held leadership roles at agencies in direct, digital, advertising and earned media. Stevenson began her career at Ogilvy & Mather Direct and went on to help Collett Dickenson & Pearce launch one of London’s first integrated agency models. Stevenson served as managing director at Craik Jones for over a decade, helping it become one of the most awarded direct agencies in the U.K.

Stevenson is an influential leader for gender equality. As 2021 president of Women in Advertising & Communications (WACL), she launched the #FlexibleFirst movement calling for mass adoption of flexible working everywhere, producing practical toolkits, seminars and how-to guides. She also mobilized WACL to lobby the U.K. Government to reinstate gender pay gap reporting. Further, with her partner George Bryant, Stevenson launched the “Brooklyn Night School,” bringing young, diverse talent into the industry through a free training program designed to address the lack of diversity in London’s creative industries. The program has launched the careers of many industry professionals, with 80% of its participants securing careers in areas from advertising to production and social inclusion.

Newly launched postproduction house Arts Academy--founded by Peter Wiedensmith and Tommy Harden--has brought editor Eric Alexander-Hughes aboard its roster. 

Alexander-Hughes had most recently been at The Den where he cut commercials. He started out in the industry with an internship at advertising agency Pereira O’Dell where he honed his skills as in-house editor and director. Alexander-Hughes cut his teeth on small editing projects before going on to make a name for himself in music videos by cutting such clips as J. Cole’s “ATM,” “Boyfriend” by Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber’s “ETA (Nature Visual)”, and “Hear Me Calling” by Juice WRLD. 

A rhythmic visual voice and engaging narrative style emerged through his music video work, which Alexander-Hughes has translated to branded content for Beats by Dre, McDonald’s, Walmart, Doritos, Spotify, Reebok, and Saks OFF 5TH. The editor has shaped films for A-List celebrity talent, including BTS, Issa Rae, Pharrell Williams, Cardi B, Puff Daddy & The Family, Travi$ Scott, Chance The Rapper, Briana King, and Sha’Carri Richardson.

Katherine Kennedy has been named the West Coast executive producer of ELEMENT Productions. The production and post company is headquartered in Boston, with satellite offices in NY, Austin and L.A. 

Kennedy brings more than 20 years of experience working in brand advertising, international and network promotions, documentary films and various other current streams of media production.

ELEMENT COO/executive producer Kristen Kearns said of Kennedy, “Her vast experience and deep pool of resources will help support our current client base, while helping to identify new clients and new markets.”

Kennedy’s client list includes global master-brands, television networks, film studios, internet and new media companies. Her clientele ranges from Nike to Land Rover, ESPN, HBO, Amazon, Universal, Paramount, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures, Jaguar, Nestlé, Unilever and Verizon, among others.   

“To be a creative producer is to be someone who understands the balance between art and business and that’s exactly what Katherine Kennedy exemplifies,” said ELEMENT CEO Eran Lobel. “She is the perfect person to bring ELEMENT’s mission to do great work with great people to the West Coast.”

Kennedy’s excellence in production has been recognized with a Daytime Emmy and a Sports Emmy.