(l-r) Peter Defries, Celia Garforth, Lauren Portelli, Alan Wilson.
Special has appointed Peter Defries and Alan Wilson, joining Celia Garforth and Lauren Portelli in the agency’s Uber APAC leadership team.
They join as regional group creative directors on Uber and Uber Eats, and have been a creative partnership for 14 years, returning to Australia after almost a decade in New York.
Most recently, they worked as executive creative directors at BBH NY, leading the J.M. Smucker Company business, which hosts some of America’s most iconic FMCG brands, including Jif, Smucker’s, Twinkies, Dunkin, Milk-Bone, and Meow Mix, plus major U.S. accounts like Walmart and Cadillac.
“We’ve been massive fans of Special for some time now,” said Alan Wilson.
“Watching from the other side of the world, we were consistently blown away by the breakthrough work they produced, especially with Uber and Uber Eats. So when the opportunity arose to be part of it, we couldn’t say no.”
Peter Defries said leaving New York wasn’t a decision taken lightly.
“It gave us some of the best experiences of our careers," Defries. "But the chance to come home and join this extremely talented team, pushing creative boundaries at a world-class level right here in our own backyard, was simply too good to pass up.”
Tom Martin, partner and CCO Special Australia, said he is pumped to have the pair boomerang back to Australia and back into Special.
“We’re at our best when we bring together top-tier humans who get what it takes to make great work and do it with care, craft and real collaboration,” said Martin.
Cade Heyde, global partner of Special, said the magic of Special Group comes from the extraordinary people behind it.
“Celia and Lauren have been instrumental in building our creative reputation across APAC,” said Heyde.
“And now, with Peter and Alan joining them, we believe we have one of the best, most exciting teams in the world."
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