Booms & Shakes: February’s boldest moves, big appointments and a few signs of what’s brewing

New leaders, new practices, new cities… and a sense the creative industry is quietly rewiring itself for what comes next.

Welcome to Booms & Shakes, our monthly round-up of the hires, promotions, partnerships and stories making waves across the creative world. And there’s no avoiding it: February has arrived with a full inbox.
From institutional appointments that signal generational shift to a flurry of acquisitions, agency launches and studio moves, this month’s Booms & Shakes is heavy with stories that matter (plus a few that are simply fun to know about).

Look beneath the headlines, and a pattern emerges. Earned media is having a moment. Social-native agencies are being snapped up by bigger networks. And some of the industry’s most respected creative leaders are stepping into roles that feel genuinely consequential. There’s also a pleasing undercurrent of people coming home: to buildings they once shaped, organisations they once led, and cities they’ve loved.

Here’s everything that’s been making noise this month.

New hires and promotions

David Patton takes the helm at D&AD

The biggest appointment of the month (possibly the year) is David Patton stepping in as chief executive of D&AD.

David brings a career that reads like a masterclass in the creative industry range. He championed the Sony Bravia ‘Balls’ campaign as senior vice-president of marketing at Sony Europe, led Grey London, and served as EMEA president of Grey. He then became global president of Young & Rubicam, The Mill and MPC Advertising before most recently running Jellyfish Pictures.

In short, he’s sat on both sides of the creative equation; as a client who backed bold, award-winning work, and as the agency leader responsible for making it. D&AD chairman Tim Lindsay called it “the perfect preparation.” It’s hard to disagree.

Richard Biggs joins BBC Creative as executive creative director

Here’s another significant signing. Richard Biggs is leaving Uncommon to join BBC Creative as executive creative director this spring, stepping into one of the most visible in-house creative roles in the country.

Richard’s work at Uncommon has been among the most celebrated of recent years, including the widely admired Hiscox campaign, and his references from Nils Leonard (who called him “a classy creative, a rare talent”) set a high bar. Richard has described the move as “coming home,” which is a nice line and, given the BBC’s role in most people’s creative upbringing, something that’s easy to empathise with.

Mat Hunter returns to the Design Council as chief executive

Mat Hunter has been appointed chief executive of the Design Council, returning to an organisation he served as chief design officer from 2010 to 2015. Since then, he’s co-founded Plus X Innovation, building a network of innovation hubs that have supported more than 500 entrepreneurs who, together, have raised over £250m in investment.

Mat takes over from Minnie Moll, who shaped the Design Council’s Design for Planet mission over five years, and joins in April. A homecoming with serious intent.

Ben McNaughton joins Saatchi & Saatchi as head of design

After 16 years at Mother London, where he built the communication design department and led award-winning work for IKEA, KFC and Trainline, Ben McNaughton has joined Saatchi & Saatchi as head of design, reporting into chief creative officer Franki Goodwin.

It’s the latest in a run of senior creative hires at the agency and a clear signal of where Saatchi sees its creative future. As Franki herself put it: “With craft skills and tools evolving on a daily basis, the talented humans we choose to wrangle it all alongside us have never been more important.”

Iris appoints Melo Meacher-Jones as head of social & influencer

Global creative network Iris has hired Melo Meacher-Jones—joining from senior roles spanning Accenture Song and Droga5 London—to lead its social and influencer offering globally in a newly created role, tied to its ‘Participate or Perish’ strategy.

Melo—who brings a rare combination of deep agency experience and serious client-side credentials (Lidl, Nestlé)—won nine new clients in their first year at Song alone. CEO Zoe Eagle says it best: “A rare talent who naturally embodies the Iris spirit.”

Brave Bison promotes Ric Hayes to chief strategy officer

Media, marketing and tech company Brave Bison has promoted Ric Hayes to chief strategy officer, bringing him onto the executive leadership team after three years as group strategy director at SocialChain.

In a newly centralised strategy function spanning Brave Bison, SocialChain and Engage Digital Partners, Hayes will work alongside Professor Mark Ritson and MTM’s Richard Ellis to develop consultancy and AI-powered planning capabilities. His background spans Carat, Dentsu and McCann, and includes supporting the legacy programme of the London 2012 Olympics.

Verve Singapore appoints Stan Lee as business director

Award-winning experiential agency and certified B Corp Verve has appointed Stan Lee as business director of its Singapore office — the first major hire since the office launched in November 2025.

Lee joins from PMG Asia Pacific, where he was regional event and experience director, and previously ran his own award-winning event marketing agency, Muse Inc. He’ll report to country head Michael Pring, with a remit to build client relationships, grow the team and uphold Verve’s sustainability commitments in the APAC region. A clear signal that the Dublin-founded agency’s APAC ambitions are serious.

Launches and new ventures

Uncommon formalises its fame ambition with a new PR, Culture & Influence practice

Uncommon Creative Studio has launched a dedicated PR, Culture & Influence practice, led by incoming managing partner Randy Manicks. Formerly MD of John Doe and named both PRCA Pro of the Year and Industry Leader of the Year, Randy has led culture-first work for Nike, Instagram, Guinness and LVMH. At Uncommon, she’ll sit alongside existing practices spanning design, experiential, art and entertainment.

Co-founder Nils Leonard is characteristically direct about the reasoning: “We get asked every week ‘Who does our PR?'” The practice is the answer, but it’s also the formalisation of something Uncommon has always done: build cultural reference points, not just campaign moments. PR director Claire Eden, who joined from The Romans last year and has already driven projects for The Ordinary and Proton VPN, will support Randy in the practice.

Common Interest backs Knock Three Times: a PR agency built for the AI era

One Green Bean founder Kat Thomas is launching Knock Three Times, backed by a seven-figure investment from Common Interest (the group behind Amplify, Baby Teeth and Otherway, among others).

The pitch is specific and interesting: as consumer behaviour shifts from traditional search towards AI-generated answers, earned media and editorial credibility matter more, not less. Thomas has built her entire premise on that belief, positioning the venture as the UK’s first PR agency built from the ground up for the GenAI era.

The agency is currently in a pre-launch phase with a small group of founding clients, with a co-founder and senior team to follow in the spring. One to watch.

ZEAL launches Joe Public as it builds a specialist FMCG ecosystem

Just weeks after acquiring social-first studio Tommy, brand activation agency ZEAL has launched retail and shopper PR agency Joe Public. It’ll be led by former Cirkle leaders Ruth Kieran (as CEO) and Amy Searle (as managing director), who have deep experience across Diageo, Birds Eye, Ferrero and PepsiCo between them.

Co-founder Stewart Hilton is explicit about the logic: clients kept asking for PR that integrates properly with activation, rather than being bolted on as an afterthought. Joe Public exists to answer that.

After three consecutive years of 30% growth, ZEAL is clearly investing from a position of confidence rather than necessity. The shape of what they’re building (activation, social-first content, and now retail PR) is starting to look deliberate.

Seen Studios launches Seen City, starting with Manchester

Seen Studios, the B-Corp design and production agency behind work for Nike, Dr Martens and Converse, has launched Seen City, an insight and content series exploring grassroots culture across cities worldwide.

Conceived by senior strategist Gursharan Panesar, creative partnerships lead Billie Skuse-Denley and director and photographer Fhuad Braimoh, the first volume focuses on Manchester, spending real time with three local creators: Gone Norf, AK Gramm and Baka Bah.

The resulting films and report are worth your time, not least for the finding that Manchester’s creative identity is now built from within: self-validation has replaced the need for external recognition. The next city will follow later this year.

M&A and expansion

Residence acquires OK COOL

The Residence global creative network has acquired OK COOL, the social-native agency founded in 2016 by Liz Stone and Jolyon Varley; two people who, notably, did not come from advertising. Liz had a background in fashion, while Jolyon had backgrounds in art, music, and technology. What they shared was an early conviction that social would become the most important channel for brands.

That bet looks prescient now. With over 100 staff across London, New York and Sydney and clients including Spotify, Nike, Lululemon and Mandarin Oriental, OK COOL is one of the very few UK-founded independents to have reached genuine global scale. The deal keeps OK COOL’s brand and leadership intact within Residence’s growing network, which already includes Buck, It’s Nice That and Giant Ant.

Lonsdale opens its first US office in New York

Paris-founded independent branding consultancy Lonsdale has been in business since 1961, with clients including Heineken, Nestlé and L’Oréal. Now it’s opened its first US office in New York’s Fashion District, coinciding with a new project win from The Hershey’s Company.

The office is led by creative director Michelle Mak and accounts lead Steffie Palang, both joining from sister agency forceMajeure, and supported by global chief growth officer Jocelyne Henri Danet. For a consultancy that has taken 65 years to open a US office, the timing feels deliberate. Michelle’s framing—that brands today need to “simplify, clarify and reinforce” what they bring to the cultural conversation—is a reasonable summary of the brief’s purpose.

Weave appointed to rebrand Arts Centre Melbourne

Melbourne brand and design agency Weave has won the appointment to create an entirely new brand identity for Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia’s largest performing arts centre, staging more than 1,000 events a year across its three major venues. The rebrand is timed to coincide with the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation, Australia’s largest cultural infrastructure project. It is scheduled to launch alongside the reopening of the Ian Potter State Theatre in late 2026.

Managing director Marijana Simunovic described the win as “a rare opportunity” to build an identity for a living expression of Melbourne’s cultural energy. It’s also a reminder that the appetite for serious, institution-level identity work has not gone anywhere.

Studios, spaces and milestones

Sheila Bird returns to Lever Street — and helps shape it

Interior and place branding studio Sheila Bird has moved back into 24–26 Lever Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter; the heritage building where co-owner Jon Humphreys and founder Atul Bansal spent more than 15 years between 2009 and 2018, helping transform it from a fire-damaged warehouse into a hub for the city’s creative community.

This time, they’re not just tenants. The studio is actively curating the building’s occupier mix, with recent arrivals including café Nomad, lighting specialist Lumenear UK and wellness brand Structure. “Love made us do it,” said Jon. That’s a good enough reason, to my mind.

Creative Mouse enters a new chapter under Steve Bond and Rob Powell

After more than 20 years at the studio each, Steve Bond and Rob Powell have taken over as co-owners of Creative Mouse, following the retirement of founder Bill.

The Leicestershire-based design and photography studio, now in its 26th year, has evolved from mail-order catalogue work to a full-service creative operation, and the new owners are clear about their ambitions: keep working with great people on projects that genuinely excite them, and build a workplace where people enjoy showing up.

LAZERIAN marks 20 years

Manchester art and design studio LAZERIAN is celebrating two decades of material-led, curiosity-driven practice in 2026. Founded in 2006 by Liam Hopkins, the studio was exploring cardboard as structural furniture and e-waste as sculptural material long before sustainability became a mandatory agency conversation.

Recent and ongoing projects include work at Manchester Airport Terminal 2 and the Chelsea Flower Show. Twenty years in, it’s still recognisably itself, which, in an industry that tends to homogenise its independents, is worth something.

Canny Creative rebrands — and introduces a marketing monster

North East brand design and web agency Canny Creative has launched a bold new brand identity to mark its 10th anniversary and a strategic pivot towards the B2B market. The rebrand, anchored by the strapline ‘Taming marketing monsters since 2015’, is built around a new mascot, Mark, a big hairy purple monster who embodies what founder Tony Hardy describes as “the unpredictable brilliance of the creative sector.”

Brand mascots are almost unheard of in B2B, which is precisely the point. Hardy is candid about the calculated risk, but also about the reality it reflects: most B2B marketing teams are stretched impossibly thin, expected to manage everything from video to social to ROI reporting on their own. Mark is the monster they’re all wrangling. It’s a bit daft, deliberately so, and it works.

Leopard Co kicks off 2026 with three new wins

Birmingham-based marketing agency Leopard Co has started the year with three new retained client appointments: freeze-dried pet treat brand Wildcrofts, global CNC machinery supplier Kingsbury Manufacturing, and Edgbaston cosmetic surgery clinic Kat & Co.

The wins span PR, paid media, social, influencer and full-service strategy, and follow a strong close to the agency’s third year, which included being named Newcomer Agency of the Year at the PRmoment Awards. Founded in 2023 through the merger of Spottydog Communications and Big Cat Agency, Leopard Co is finding its stride.

What it all means

Zoom out, and February tells an interesting story. The acquisitions of Tommy and OK COOL, and the launch of Joe Public, all point in the same direction: social-native and earned-first capabilities are being folded into larger agency ecosystems.

Meanwhile, the appointments at D&AD, the Design Council and BBC Creative suggest that institutions responsible for setting and protecting creative standards are actively choosing leaders with real-world agency experience rather than career administrators. Finally, the launches of Knock Three Times and Uncommon’s PR practice signal a genuine rethink of what earned media and cultural influence actually mean, as AI changes the way people research and discover.

The industry is reconfiguring. This is what that looks like in practice.