• by David Kaplan , March 1, 2005

Omnicom's BBDO unit is jump-starting a new "visual design" element as part of a shakeup to bolster its creative arsenal, naming Todd Tilford director of visual communications. The move is part of a new mandate for the agency's Chief Marketing Officer, Rich Kronengold, who has been asked to develop new media opportunities.

In his new role, Tilford will help launch a new in-house design capability for clients, and will oversee the agency's studio and print production departments. He will report to David Lubars, chairman and chief creative officer, BBDO North America.

According to Lubars, the idea is to "create a 21st-century version of a killer '60's New York agency," and bring together creative specialists in areas of design and technology who usually reside outside of ad agencies. The hope for Tilford is that he will instill a "designery" ethos, presenting clients with a different kind of thinking about logos, guerrilla ideas, posters, Internet ideas, and other things beyond the typical advertising ideas.

Tilford began his career at Valentine Radford in Kansas City before moving on to Ogilvy & Mather, GSD&M, and The Richards Group. It was at The Richards Group that Tilford met Stan Richards, and set up Pyro Brand Development in 1994 as a separate operating unit. At Pyro, where he was a founding partner and ecd, Tilford helped introduce consumers to Hummer vehicles via the brand's first mass advertising campaign. He created logos, icons, and packaging for the popular video game "Quake." He rebranded Dr. Martens, and relaunched Converse sneakers behind the Chuck Taylor "Blank Canvas" campaign.

After eight years, Tilford left Pyro to start his own consultancy, Tilford:Norman Consulting. His recent work at TM Advertising, which he joined over two years ago, included developing print work for Subaru and international advertising for Nortel.

Tilford, who officially joins the agency on March 1, is the latest in a series of senior creative hires made at BBDO New York by Lubars. Others who have recently joined include ecd's Jimmy Smith and Greg Hahn, and Creative Director Kara Goodrich.

Tilford will likely come into contact soon enough with Kronengold, who is charged with reaching out to other areas of the Omnicom universe to develop media opportunities that might be deemed atypical.

Specifically, Kronengold will become the key contact for OMD on "new media issues" not related to any specific BBDO account. The primary duties he will pursue include working closely with OMD's new technology group and DAS's "Full Circle Entertainment" group, attending media conferences, and issuing "need to know white papers" to the agency and its clients regarding the latest thinking on media.

Furthermore, he will become the principal BBDO contact to whom content companies, branded entertainment suppliers, or new organizations (like CBS's new marketing group) can present ideas.

"The most important thing about Kronengold's new role is that he will make sure that these new media ideas no longer stay in silos," a BBDO spokesman said.