Havas Chicago has appointed Frank Dattalo as chief creative officer (CCO), the agency exclusively shared with ADWEEK.
He succeeds Myra Nussbaum, who had been CCO and president of Havas Chicago for nearly four years and is leaving the agency to pursue other opportunities, according to a spokesperson.
Dattalo will work alongside president Kat Ott and chief strategy officer Chase Cornett to redefine the agency’s creative approach through culturally-driven, brand-building work.
“Frank’s passion for fostering a culture where diverse, ambitious talent can take big swings aligns perfectly with our vision,” Ott said in a statement. “Together, we’ll create undeniable work that fuels the feeds, drives fame, and impacts real change.”
As CCO, Dattalo plans to implement a “high-low” strategy to the agency’s creative process, blending the strategic rigor of a brand with the cultural intelligence of an influencer or boutique creative shop.
“Strategy wins the war, but tactics win battles,” he told ADWEEK. “It’s driven by this idea of thinking like a brand and acting like an influencer.”
The exec is no stranger to leaning into cultural moments in his past work.
He previously served as executive creative director at Cashmere Agency (since Nov. 22), where he helped ideate the recent Kraft Heinz x Mustard collaboration following the hip-hop producer’s success working with Kendrick Lamar. While there, he also worked on Budweiser’s “The B.I.G. Drop,” a tribute to Notorious B.I.G. for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary in 2023.
A full-circle moment
Dattalo began his career at Energy BBDO in Chicago 2003, where he developed campaigns like Orbit Gum’s “Dirty Mouth” and 5 Gum’s “Stimulate Your Senses.” In 2011, he joined Deutsch LA and has since held creative director roles across brands like Apple and agencies Critical Mass and R/GA, where he led the Nike account.
“My career choices have always been driven by two things: brands that have personally impacted my life and my curiosity for always finding fresh, new ways for people to interact with brands,” he said.