Wolff Olins hires two new creative directors to boost team in support of recent client wins

Wolff Olins is bolstering its creative firepower, with the appointment of two new creative directors, following new business wins in recent months.

Andy Khatouli and George Adams join the global brand consultancy from creative studios Oddigy and DesignStudio, respectively.

Adams joins from DesignStudio in Australia, where he spent nearly four years building the agency’s APAC presence, with previous experience including Weiden + Kennedy, Venturethree and NB Studio. Major clients have included Hong Kong Tourism board, Alibaba, Moet Hennessy, Korean food delivery business SPC, Honda and News International. 

With a focus on brand, Adams thrives when merging disciplines, across digital, motion and the world of tech, as well as implementing brand experience as part of a holistic approach.

Adams said: “The definition of brand is much more broadly understood today and that gives us license to think bigger than ever before and create brand experiences from beginning to end and beyond. In the right hands, brand can move the dial and change conversations for the good. “I’m not interested in creating safe work at Wolff Olins – and I know that’s not the expectation from me,” he continued. I’m excited to encourage experimentation within the team and create a space where it’s OK to get things wrong. By encouraging people out of their comfort zone it will lead to unique and meaningful work. Wolff Olins has always been a bucket list company for me – smart, brave and industry-defining work has come out of this studio and I’m proud to get a chance to add to the legacy.”

Khatouli – whose previous clients have included MTV, ITV, BBC, Google, Humanrace, BeyondMeat, Grey Goose and Nickelodeon – co-founded his own studio Oddigy in 2020, and prior to that worked at Ragged Edge and Studio Moross.

Career highlights include working on the brand for the MTV Video Music Awards and creating BeyondMeat’s campaign with Belgian footballer Romelu Lukaku, it’s most successful to date.

Khatouli said: “Wolff Olins has a reputation for being a true innovator in the field. And I knew I needed to be around a team that wasn’t scared to break the rules, try the impossible and change people’s lives in the process. It was clear to me that the same rebellious spirit hasn’t left Wolff Olins since its inception. So, I was eager to join a team that shared the same philosophy to design. “Coming into this role, I knew I didn’t fit a traditional mould of what a Creative Director looks like and how they behave. But it was my conversations with the creative team that convinced me the culture here cared deeply about my personal journey, as well as what I could bring to the table,” added Khatouli.

Emma Barratt, Global Executive Creative Director, said: “We’ve been looking for the right people for a while and we’re all excited to welcome Andy and George with their unique perspectives and skillsets. It’s not about who looks good on paper, but what difference they can bring, where they get their ideas, how they can help raise everyone’s game by adding their own flavour into our pot of creative ingredients. Diversity of thought is critical in our approach to creating transformative brands.” She added: “We’ve been significantly growing our teams in the past year, including hires across our strategy and engagement communities. It’s partly in support of deepening our culture and experience capabilities, but also building out the teams to better serve some of the major client wins we’ve had this year. More to come on that in 2024.”

While being based in the UK, both Khatouli and Adams will work with global and local clients, collaborating with teams across Wolff Olins’ offices in New York, San Francisco and LA.

Their appointments come just after Wolff Olins unveiled its own rebrand last month, along with a refinement of its client offer to focus on brand, culture and experience. The new visual identity focuses on the joyful, more wild-side of the team’s unique approach, paired with the rigour for which it has been famous since its foundation in 1965.

Source: Wolff Olins

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