Chicago: DDB

From its heyday a decade ago, DDB Chicago suffered a fall from grace, due in part to a lack of creative leadership. But since CCO Ewan Paterson (right) took the helm things have been looking up.

Think of the Chicago ad scene and there’s no doubt that DDB’s office in the Windy City is one of the first names to spring to mind. Back at the turn of the new century, the agency was flying high and celebrating a Cannes Lions film Grand Prix for the infamous Budweiser ‘Whassup’ phenomenon. And over the next few years more metal poured in for campaigns such as Bud Light’s Real Men of Genius, all making DDB Chicago one of the highest ranked agencies in the world.

The last few years however have proved less successful on the awards circuit. Lacking creative leadership for almost two years and suffering heavy account losses, the agency was hit pretty hard. But today DDB Chicago has put the past behind it and is steaming ahead into the future under the leadership of chief creative officer Ewan Paterson, who took the creative reins in June 2010.

“I always felt a huge affinity with DDB,” explains Paterson, who was co-ECD at DDB London for10 years before spending five at CHI & Partners. “I felt that deep down at the heart of DDB it was about great work. This had been the best agency in the world, and what I’ve learnt in advertising is that you can never really change an agency – you can’t take a not very good agency and turn it into a creative hotshop – but here we had good work at the heart. I felt if I came and worked hard we could be one of the best agencies again, because we believe in good ideas.”

Two-pronged approach

And so, while iconic beer brands Budweiser and Bud Light may no longer be on the books, the agency has put in the hard graft and rebuilt its roster with new, equally creative accounts – as well as winning back a chunk of State Farm work, the agency came out top in pitches for Skittles and Starburst as well as PepsiCo drink Sierra Mist. But Paterson’s biggest challenge has been rebuilding the agency and ushering in a change in attitude.

“DDB Chicago has a great heritage,” adds Diane Jackson (left), executive director of integrated production, “but we’ve had a lot of change and I think we needed to redefine our purpose and our future. And when we came back in the new year it was not only a new agency but like a start-up really, just with an amazing roster of clients. Ewan has really set the tone and it’s fantastic.”

Traditionally a star in TV, the pair have reinvigorated the agency’s reputation for print and outdoor with a series of campaigns for the Chicago Field Museum, and a recent digital project for State Farm which showcased the shop’s interactive prowess.

There’s plenty of hard work still ahead, says Paterson, but he’s got his sights set high nonetheless: “I’m proud of Chicago but I want this to be a global agency, not a Chicago agency. I want us to be the best agency in the world, from Chicago.”