ITV Creative has hired former Uncommon London chief Tom Houser – who worked extensively on the broadcaster’s mental health campaign “Britain Get Talking” – as executive creative director to sit on the in-house agency’s leadership team.
Set up to promote ITV’s own content, the agency creates and produces on and off-air advertising and brand communications aimed at UK and international markets and works alongside a wide range of commercial partners.
Houser has spent the past 12 months freelancing at BBC Creative, focusing on the relaunch of Doctor Who and working on projects like Planet Earth III, Radio 1 and The Tourist.
Before going freelance, he spent four and a half years at Uncommon London, leading award-winning accounts including British Airways, B&Q, Dreams, Ecover, Pinterest and The Guardian, and worked extensively with ITV on Britain Get Talking. Prior to that he held creative roles at Grey, VCCP and Havas.
In his new role, Houser will work alongside ITV Creative director Niki Garner. He will lead the largest department within the agency and will be tasked with further amplifying the creative standard across ITV as a whole.
With the launch of streaming service ITVX, he will set the vision and ambition for the team, as well as working closely with all departments ensuring briefs deliver work that is digital first.
Houser’s appointment is the latest move in ITV’s strategy to bolster its in-house capabilities, including campaign management, campaign production and post production, as well as the expansion of ITVX. It also recently appointed Mother strategy director Tatiana Jezierski as its new head of creative strategy.
Late last year, the broadcaster launched a separate full service creative studio to tap into the rise of the ad funded entertainment market. BE Studio aims to help brands build emotional connections with ITV’s audience through the co-creation of new formats.
Meanwhile, it has bolstered its data-driven advertising proposition by bring together specialists in market and media research, analytics and data science under the new ITV Insights Group, led by former director of audiences Neil Mortensen, who is director of the team.
Houser said: “Having worked on Britain Get Talking campaign for many years, I know how much opportunity and appetite there is internally for big, brave ideas. I can’t wait to get stuck in and meet everyone.”
Garner added: “Tom is a brilliant creative and no stranger to the ITV brand. I’m thrilled to have him join ITV Creative to lead the creative department and help us deliver some fantastic work that really resonates with our viewers.”
Related stories
ITV creates Insight Group and plots expansion of ITVX
ITV opens creative studio for ad funded entertainment
ITVX opens insight study to quiz viewers on advertising
Don’t believe the hype: CTV fails to attract new spend
Isn’t it time your brand was tuning in to connected TV?