YOUR NEW GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR IS A BABOON.

Hi, everybody! I’d like to introduce Simon Jennings, our new Group Creative Director for our NY office! He joins us from McCann Johannesburg after 18 years of crafting award winning campaigns for Sony, MasterCard and Lucozade Energy Drinks. He’s done tons of experiential work, helped land new business, launched countless campaigns and touched pretty much every sector under the sun from Packaged Goods to Pharma to Health & Beauty.

Simon, you may be interested to know, is a world-class cribbage player and also a Chacma Baboon.

I first met Simon in Cape Town many years ago when we were both judging the Loeries. Creatives from around the world could not stop talking about this dashing, creative tour de force who was the talk of Cape Town, seen at every party, spending his time swilling champagne and leading 15 other adult male baboons in trawling through the towns waste bins and rubbish dumps in search of food and bits of shiny metal.

Speaking of shiny metal — -last year Simon was the most awarded creative at Cannes wracking up an impressive 23 Lions!

Ironic, when you consider that Simon’s species is endangered due to predation from actual lions. Way to go, Simon!

He officially started last week and has already been sitting in on meetings so lots of folks have met him, but for those who haven’t, he’s the one sitting next to Stacy who is covered in dark brown to grayish fur with the distinctive feature of his species — a long downward sloping face accompanied by 3-inch long canine teeth.

He’s already a favorite of the creative department thanks to his commitment to excellence, his razor sharp wit and his wide variety of social behaviors including dominance hierarchy, collective foraging, adoption of young and friendship pairing.

Swing by and say hi when you get a chance. Also, in case you were wondering, he is being paid way more money than you.

Thanks much all,

Richard Matthews

Global Chief Executive Officer