Aderwize

Partner & Chief Creative Officer / Deutsch LA

In his new role Mark’s primary aim is to elevate Deutsch LA’s creative product to a level on par with the very best in the world and give brands like Volkswagen, Sony PlayStation, Snapple, HTC, Kettle Chips and Dr Pepper the ground-breaking thinking they need to compete in a diverse and continually evolving communications marketplace.

It’s all far cry from the snowy wilds of Toronto’s Bloor Street, where Mark began his career as a copywriter at brilliant place you’ve never heard of called Harrod + Mirlin.  Five years later he accepted an offer to work for BBH in London where he spent the next 5 years creating global campaigns for some of the greatest brands in the world - including Levi’s, Audi, Bertoli and Lynx to name but a few.

From there Mark moved to Amsterdam to take up the helm as CD on the Nike business at Wieden + Kennedy where, among other things, he oversaw the creation of Nike’s 2006 World Cup campaign ‘Joga Bonito’ – Nike’s first truly global integrated campaign and the model for all of their future global initiatives.

In 2007 Mark returned to London briefly taking up the position of Executive Creative Director at Euro/RSCG before crossing the street to take the same job at TBWA\London. Under his leadership, TBWA\London transformed from an ageing traditional shop to a thoroughly modern creative agency via a plethora of new hires, new business wins and a broadening of the shop’s creative and digital capabilities. Recognition soon followed in the form of Cannes lions, BTAA Arrows and D+AD Pencils for Adidas and Skittles and John Smith’s. 

And speaking of creative awards, over the years Mark has created work that’s won more or less every creative award going from Andy, Clio, AICP and One Show awards in the US to multiple Epica, Cannes Lions, BTAA Arrows and D&AD Pencils in the UK and Europe.

A dual national (Canadian/British), Mark now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Fiona and their two young children, Maya 
and Hugo.

Apart from the default categories, Mark also shared his top 10 music albums. Speaking about his choices, he says that "looking at this list I realize that I have, in some way, become that person I used to laugh at when I was younger. The person who still by and large listens to the same music he did when he was at university. To be fair to myself, I listen to lots of different types of music (I really do!), much of it very contemporary. But, when push comes to shove, most of the music that still reaches me in the places music should reach you is far from new".

Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin

Sticky Fingers – The Rolling Stones

Siamese Dream – Smashing Pumpkins

Astral Weeks – Van Morrison

Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan

Queen is Dead - Smiths

Let it Be – Beatles

Sandinista – The Clash

Elliot Smith  - Super 8

Anthony and the Johnsons - I am a Bird Now