Elmwood appoints two new creative directors in London and Leeds

Elmwood, one of the world’s most effective brand design consultancy, has appointed two new creative directors for its Leeds and London studios. John-Paul (JP) Hunter will lead the creative strategy and delivery of Elmwood’s London studio, and Helen Hartley will take the lead in Leeds.

Both Helen and JP will be responsible for ensuring that both studios produce extraordinary brand experiences, translating insight into ‘big ideas’ and crafting brands that are memorable, meaningful and iconic. Reporting to Andrew (Andy) Lawrence, Executive Creative Director at Elmwood, Helen and JP will also drive a culture of creativity and craft across the two studios.

Helen is a multiple award-winning designer with 22 years of experience in brand design and brand strategy in the FMCG sector in both food and non-food. She has worked on global and national brands, including Coca Cola, Unilever, Nestlé, Vodafone, IBM, Kimberly Clark, Asda, Selfridges, Debenhams, Pernod Ricard, Carlsberg, Tesco, Npower & National Grid. Her experience will further bolster Elmwood’s substantial expertise in retail and FMCG branding. Helen joins Elmwood from WPA Pinfold where she led the creative team for seven years. She has over 15 years experience in London consultancies, including Coley Porter Bell and R Design.

JP brings with him substantial international experience creating impactful design solutions within FMCG, prestige packaging, brand and corporate identity, retail display and GTR sectors. He has led global projects across North America, Europe, Russia, Middle East, Africa and Australasia. He has developed award-winning work for iconic brands within Bacardi, Sherwin Williams, William Grant & Sons, P&G, Nestlé, Danone, BAT, John Lewis, ING Bank and Shell. Elmwood have swooped to secure JP from strategic design and innovation agency, Webb deVlam. JP has many years experience building and directing design teams for a fair share of our major competitors.

Both JP and Helen have extensive experience in omni-channel design, able to develop creative approaches across off- and online channels, as well translate them across immersive digital platforms such as AR and VR. Helen and JP will be charged with continuing Elmwood’s substantial heritage for producing highly effective work through creativity and craft.

“I’m really excited to welcome Helen and JP to the team. These new roles have been carved out as we continue to expand our national and international strategic and creative capabilities. Both of them have a fantastic track record, and I know they will bring an energetic and fresh approach that will truly wow our clients and their customers,” says Andy Lawrence, Executive Creative Director at Elmwood. “We know that for businesses and brands to succeed today, they must place design at the heart of their strategy. To outrun the pace of change, brands must be extraordinary. And at Elmwood, our goal is effectiveness and our strategy is extraordinary design. I know that JP and Helen will be instrumental in helping us achieve that vision.”

Helen said: “Elmwood has always been a design consultancy I have held in high regard, with an award-winning brand reputation for effectiveness through creativity. They are one of only a few successful global independent brand design consultancies in the world today. I relish working with the inspirational and vibrant team based in Leeds and across the company with JP and the team in London, New York and Singapore to deliver for some of the world’s most iconic brands.”

JP added: “Today, brands are facing unprecedented disruption and uncertainty. What drew me to Elmwood is that they are prepared to embrace innovative ways of working to ensure that their impressive roster of global clients continue to be iconic within their categories and beyond. I’m genuinely excited to be part of an agency that believes in finding those important audience insights. My job will be to ensure they are translated into both beautiful and effective design solutions.”

Source: Elmwood

  Agency, Appointment, Branding, Creative Directors, Design, Elmwood, Helen Hartley, John-Paul Hunter, Leeds, London, Marketing, UK