Iris, Beijing hires ex DDB China senior creative director Barry Low for China CD role

Global creative agency Iris has recruited one of Asia’s leading creative talents Barry Low to be creative director of its China operation. Low, who left his last role as senior creative director at DDB China in June, joins iris’ Beijing office, where he will report in to iris’ creative director for the Asia Pacific region, Grant Hunter.

He brings 25 years’ experience in a range of directorial creative roles gained at a range of the industry’s leading agencies including DDB, Ogilvy & Mather, Grey, Wunderman and Leo Burnett.

Low will be charged with overseeing all of the agency’s creative output for its China operation, which has offices in Beijing and Shanghai. He will be responsible for building iris’ creative profile in the region through the execution of integrated campaigns spanning above and below the line for iris’ clients, which include Sony Ericsson.

During his career, Low has created many of the region’s biggest brandcampaigns including those for McDonald’s, Ericsson, Ford, Philips,Shanghai Volkswagen, Lipton Tea, Pepsi Tropicana, IBM and AmericanExpress. He has won a host of Asia’s most coveted awards such as DMAMGold awards, a HK Kam Fan, a FAB International London award, aCertficate for Media Asia award and several Kancils.

Says David King, Iris’ regional CEO for China: “Many of the industry’sfinest have admired Barry’s work so it’s great to have him at iris’creative helm. He is a recognised as a huge talent in the industry, andhas previously been responsible for the creative direction of majoraccounts such as McDonald’s BTL work and launching 360 campaigns forsome of the Region’s biggest brands including Maxis.”

Adds Hunter:”Barry’s appointment enhances our regional creative firepower. As anagency, we’re driven by the desire to produce extraordinary ideasacross the APAC region. This hiring demonstrates our determination toproduce stand out creative ideas.”

Says Low: “I’m very excited to be joining iris – an agency whose visionI share. For me, coming up with creative solutions for clients is nolonger just about traditional ATL advertising – it’s about coming upwith fresh creative solutions based on ‘big’ ideas and this is whatiris does. It’s still a fairly new agency in China, but is alreadycausing a stir due to its wider profile in Asia.”

Prior to joining DDB China in October 2008, Low worked as seniorcreative director at Wunderman and prior to that he worked at LeoBurnett as senior creative director since November 2005. Between Mayand October 2005, Low was creative director at Ogilvy & Mather andprior to that he was creative director at Grey since 2004.

Earlier this year, Iris announced its decision to decentralise itsglobal management structure to grow the company in four key regionsChina, Asia, Europe and America. iris launched its first office inChina in Beijing in 2009 and opened a second office in Shanghai earlierthis year.