D&AD elects new committee

British Design and Art Direction members have voted Michael Johnson of Johnson Banks and Glenn Tutssel of Tutssels@The Brand Union to the D&AD executive committee.

They will take up their three-year posts at D&AD’s agm on 28 January. Richard Seymour of Seymour Powell will take over the one-year presidency from Tim Mellor of Grey Advertising, at the same meeting. Meanwhile, Larry Barker of ad agency BMP DDB will be declared president-elect.

Johnson believes the design and advertising representative body is in good shape, but says there could still be a greater cross-over between the designers and the advertisers sitting on the 11-strong executive committee.

“As design and advertising continue to work together it makes more sense to increase the cross-over between all members of the executive committee,” says Johnson. He also says D&AD could use its name to greater effect by publishing books on design.

Seymour is more vocal on the design/advertising split in the D&AD executive committee. Soon after his appointment, he told Design Week it consisted of “two halves” and pledged to work to bring them closer together during his presidency (DW 30 October).

Meanwhile, Tutssel, who was unavailable for comment as Design Week went to press, is likely to use his appointment to the committee in part to promote a packaging-sector campaign against low pitch fees.