Steve Stretton takes top job at AMV

Steve Stretton takes top job at AMVSteve Stretton, one of the DM industry’s most highly respected creative directors, is to spearhead the creative team at a new Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO division, offering direct and digital expertise.
Dubbed AMV Red, the unit will work with the ad agency’s existing clients – including BT, Dixons, Mercedes-Benz and Sainsbury’s – and combines specialist creative, planning, analytics, search and production.
However, it is not known whether it be a shopper marketing division, which goes after its own clients or whether it will simply operate as an add-on to the existing agency. AMV has not released any details about other senior staff involved.
Stretton, who will be creative partner, has been working within the AMV group since last year, when he was drafted in by Proximity chief executive Mike Dodds as interim executive creative director following the departure of Caitlin Ryan to Karmarama. The duo had remained friends since working together at BBH’s direct agency Limbo in the mid-Eighties.
He retained his role at Proximity once the agency had appointed his former protégé – Elvis executive creative director John Treacy – to smooth the handover. Treacy had worked for Stretton at AIS from 2000 to 2003.
Stretton was then hired by AMV as a consultant to provide direct marketing expertise to the team working on the BT account. At AMV Red, he will report to ­Adrian Rossi and Alex Grieve, the executive creative directors of the main advertising agency.
Having started his career as an art director at Limbo under then creative director Mike Cavers, in 1987, Stretton joined Evans Hunt Scott, now Havas EHS, where he first met his future business partners John Ingall and Stuart Archibald.
The trio went their separate ways but came together again in 1998 to launch Archibald Ingall Stretton, now AIS London. Ingall was the first partner to leave, in 2010, and quit agency life altogether. Archibald followed at the tail end of 2011, with Stretton finally stepping down last year.
It is understood that Stretton and Archibald were planning a reunion, after Archilbald stated he wanted to bring his Australian agency, Archibald Williams, to the UK. However, with Stretton now taking this permanent role, it seems Archibald’s plans are some way off yet.
Stretton said: “After 13 years at AIS, the idea of ­feeling at home in another business seemed like an impossibility. But the belief in creativity, plus the ethos and attitude of the people here, has been a breath of fresh air. I’m proud to be associated with AMV BBDO and everything it stands for.”

Related stories
John Treacy lands Proximity ECD job
Morley-Brown opens new agency
Stretton grabs Proximity interim role
Steve Stretton steps aside at AIS
Caitlin Ryan takes top Karma job
Proximity boosts management team
Archibald: ‘London here we come’

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  1. Steve Stretton takes top job at AMV http://t.co/9qxKZs7sHy #directmarketing #digitalmarketing #socialmedia #CRM #advertising

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