Tim Pontarelli has landed. After more than a year off that he spent reflecting on life and the world of advertising and freelancing, Pontarelli is signing on at Energy BBDO/Chicago as a group creative director.
He will work on the Lay’s business that was recently moved without a review to Energy BBDO from Juniper Park/Toronto.
It will be interesting to see what he can do with a packaged goods client such as Lay’s after he made an indelible mark on the Hallmark account during his many years at Leo Burnett.
In an e-mail to us, Pontarelli talked about the vibe at Energy BBDO: “It’s a wonderful place, really good people, major momentum.” Plus, after having done some freelance work there during his time off, he found Energy BBDO to be “smaller and nimbler” than Burnett.
In some ways, Energy BBDO seems to be taking a cue from McGarryBowen/Chicago, which has made a point of not promoting itself or its creative product, and simply letting business come to it.
Whatever he finds at Energy BBDO, Pontarelli will be working with two veterans of the Chicago ad scene‚ chief creative officer Dan Fietsam and CEO Tonise Paul.
Despite the loss of the Illinois Lottery account, Energy BBDO has over the past year picked up a huge chunk of the S.C. Johnson global account. And now Lay’s.
Let’s hope the agency allows Pontarelli the freedom eventually to find his way to creating a new spot of the caliber of his “Hooper” commercial for Hallmark.
For so many reasons, truly great commercials are harder to get done these days. But Pontarelli could be the one to do it.
Contact Lewis Lazare at LewisL3@aol.com
