Kitcatt steps down but brand lives on

Kitcatt steps down but brand lives onPaul Kitcatt is finally stepping down from his role as chief creative officer at the agency he co-founded 13 years ago, Kitcatt Nohr, to pursue a career in writing.
Kitcatt has been taking more of an oversight role at the agency of late, since Ben Golik was promoted to executive creative director last year; his position will not be directly replaced.
He is the third of the original founders to depart; Marc Nohr and Jeremy Shaw left last year, although Kitcatt will remain a consultant for the time being. The fourth co-founder, Vonnie Alexander was appointed managing director following Nohr’s exit.
Having graduated from Exeter University, Kitcatt started his career at Brann, becoming one of its youngest ever executive creative directors. He then switched to Brann London as managing director before returning to the creative side of the business as ECD at 141 London.
Kitcatt said: “I’m excited about the future – mine and the agency’s. Mine because I get to be creative in another way. The agency’s because I believe it’s in a good place and greatness is in its genes.”
Although originally founded as Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw in 2002, the agency can trace its roots back to charity shop Lion – formerly Burnett Associates – where the four founders had worked together.
Having been courted for years, the founders eventually sold to Publicis in 2011, and the agency was renamed Kitcatt Nohr Digitas. It even survived the merger with LBi which saw all agencies in the group rebranded DigitasLBi. However, one of the first things Alexander did when she took over was to drop the digital agency’s moniker.
And it is testament to the strength of the brand that the Kitcatt Nohr name remains one of the most recognised in the industry.
It will become the first DM shop launched in the second wave of agencies – set up by the so-called “middle-aged guns” – to retain the name of its founders once they have departed.
The likes of Craik Jones, Barraclough Hall, Archibald Ingall Stretton, Hicklin Slade, and Stephens Francis Whitson are all long gone; even the EHS brand, which had survived for nearly 25 years, was dropped by Havas earlier this year.
Only Partners Andrews Aldridge remains intact, although co-founder Steve Aldridge stills works for the business.
Alexander said: “I am obviously sad to see Paul go. We have worked together for such a long time but the time is right for him and for us to move forward. And we will continue to work together in different ways.”

Related stories
Marc Nohr joins ad agency Fold7
Nohr leaves Regus after 8 months
Kitcatt Nohr axes Digitas brand
Nohr switches client-side to Regus
Kitcatt Nohr grabs Publicis cash
Kitcatt Nohr blosters senior team
Kitcatt Nohr survives LBi merger

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  1. RT DM_editor: Paul Kitcatt steps down after 13 years but kitcattnohr brand lives on http://t.co/z3SzysrOUs #directmarketing #digitalmark…

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