Hotshot Brit Iain Tait quits W&K to start baking for Google
One of the brightest British names on the American advertising scene is leaving Wieden and Kennedy where he recently became a director to join Google in New York.
Creative Director Iain Tait, who cofounded the London digital agency Poke (Remember the baker's shop?), is leaving W&K to join Google Creative
Lab, where he will be executive creative director.
On his blog he praises W+K to the skies, "I’ve spent the last two years and 12 days working at the greatest creative agency in the world ," he says.
"I’ve been part of an incredible group of people (no doubt fuelling my feelings of inadequacy and fakery) helping to evolve the output of the agency to be more interactive, and to take advantage of the connected world we’re building.
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"I can almost hear the 12 people reading this blog asking: “Wait! If it’s so great how come you’re leaving?”. I know they will continue to thrive and lead the industry. But they will thrive and evolve without me.
“What the hell AM I doing walking away from this?”. I can only make sense of it when I look at where I’m heading; I’m going to be an ECD at Google Creative Lab in New York."
As Tait put it, "The opportunity to work at Google Creative Lab alongside some of the brightest scientists and inventors in the world was "something my inner nerd just couldn't turn down."
Tait's new blog is at http://www.crackunit2.com.
Tait played a key role in W&K's award-winning Old Spice Response campaign and only in December, was named one of the firm's 11 partners.
Dan Wieden personally recruited the Brit in 2010. He said, "I hate it, and I am in denial, but yes, he is leaving us to join Google Creative Lab to be in touch with his inner geek and work on the product side."
Before joining W&K, Tait cofounded London digital shop Poke, home to praised campaigns for Orange and digital innovations such as Albion's Baker Tweet.
This was a twitter system that allowed bakers at the Albion cafe to tweet clients about what was coming fresh out of their ovens - so they could rush round and buy some . The tweets were sent out by dial and button system, instead of by mobile phone or laptop.
We will be hearing more from Mr Tait. We can't wait for the Tweets on what's coming out of Google's oven.