DDB Sydney has poached M&C Saatchi's creative director, Ant Melder, and named him the agency's newest creative partner.
A London native, Melder has worked across advertising, digital, activations and retail at agencies including M&C Saatchi, Wunderman, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Iris Worldwide.
Melder has been with M&C since 2013 as a creative director where he co-led the Optus business and created its anti-smoking campaigns for Quit.
DDB Sydney's chief creative, Toby Talbot, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ant to the family. I have watched his career for years. He’s an accomplished writer and a lovely bloke to boot. He really is a perfect fit for DDB when you think about Bernbach’s ‘talented but nice’ philosophy. But there’s a sharpness there too, with ‘Game of Balls’ being a great example of his ability to think differently.”
Melder worked on M&C's PSA-in-a-porn-film, Game of Balls for the Blue Ball Foundation. The testicular cancer awareness project has been viewed over 10 million times and picked up awards at Cannes Lions, Clios, Spikes, ADMA ACEs and the LIA awards.
Melder said: “There’s a definite buzz around DDB right now. It’s packed with brilliantly talented people doing world-class work for iconic brands, which is as it should be considering this is the agency that invented good advertising. Unfortunately, Toby’s a Chelsea supporter but, putting that to one side, I can’t wait to get stuck in, be part of it and help create work that blends ideas and innovation – work that has its finger on the pulse and a real beating heart.”
This is not the first hire DDB has made from M&C's ranks this year, with M&C Saatchi's group head of Optus, Chiquita King leaving the agency to head up DDB's Telstra business.
Melder commences his role at DDB on 4 January.
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