STE names new creative head…

Sampson Tyrrell Enterprise has appointed a new creative head as it prepares for closer integration into the global Enterprise Identity Group.

Former Landor creative director Franco Bonadio will join in July as managing creative director to lead a team of eight creative directors and some 40 designers. He will join STE’s operations group to handle day-to-day management, but not the main board. Creative directors David Freeman and Terry Ball will continue to report to STE managing director Charles Trevail.

Current creative director Peter Stimpson will retain a consultancy role within STE, while pursuing other interests. According to STE chief executive Dave Allen, Stimpson will, at his own suggestion, only deal with clients and not run the design team. He will step down from STE’s board and operations group.

Bonadio could not comment on the new job, because of contractual obligations to Landor. But Trevail describes him as “one of the most talented creative directors on a global basis”.

The London group, which along with its WPP counterparts worldwide will change its name to Enterprise IG on 19 May, has also set up a “brand creation team” to help clients wishing to establish new or merged brands. It will be headed by Lynn Hall, who joined two weeks ago having worked previously with DIA, and Martin Jackson, the “creative partner” who comes in next month having worked in design, advertising and publishing.

Hall says, “[The brand creation team] is a gem of an idea.” She cites Orange, First Direct and British Airways cut-price airline Go as the kind of start-up brands she and Jackson hope to be involved in. They are “corporate, with a consumer face”, she says.

STE is currently growing at around 25 per cent a year, says Trevail, adding that its design team is likely to expand.

Meanwhile, Allen has called for major corporate identity players to band together to “talk up” the industry. The move follows a shift in direction at STE, which is urging clients to view their corporate brand as central to the business rather than symbolised by an aspiration statement from the marketing department. The move will, he hopes, gain influence for design.

WPP Group has reported gross profits up by more than 14 per cent overall in the first quarter of the year. Revenue was up 16 per cent in the UK to 84.6m, 11 per cent in the US to 186m and 17 per cent in Europe to 79.5m.