Katie has previously worked for Wieden+Kennedy, Special Group and most recently, Meta
Global brand communications agency, Manifest has appointed Katie Harrison as its new group associate creative director, further bolstering the independent’s global creative team. Katie’s background includes senior creative positions at Wieden+Kennedy, Special Group and most recently Facebook parent-company, Meta – she is also a published author and lecturer on Narrative and Voice at Central Saint Martins.
Big Brand Thinking
This diverse and multi-channel background makes Katie the ‘perfect fit’ for Manifest’s unified creative team, according to the agency’s global executive creative director, Kostas Karanikolas: “Katie is one of the most talented creatives I’ve ever worked with,” he says. “She’s an amazing writer with strategic acumen. A true hybrid thinker who comes from the brand world but also excels in participatory campaign work. Katie has an impressive track record of delivering culture-shifting ideas across myriad industries, working with brands like Nike, Orange, Chambord and Uber in some of the world’s best creative agencies. The whole team is excited to have her on board.”
Katie will join Manifest’s ‘24-hour’ creative team spanning studios in London, Manchester, Stockholm, New York and Melbourne. Having worked with Kostas Karanikolas in the past, her most recent role was as senior creative in Meta’s Creative X team. Her experience spans a broad spectrum of creative skills and channels from nature writing to the Metaverse.
Supportive Culture
Alongside Manifest’s portfolio of fast-growth brands and its purpose-driven strategic approach, it was the working culture at Manifest – the first agency to have achieved full Blueprint status for its approach to DE&I – that sealed her decision to join:
“After leaving Wieden+Kennedy, I worked with incredible agencies and brands. The world felt like my oyster,” said Katie. “But when I had my daughter, I began to see a different side of the business. The creative industry is not set up to support mothers. Suddenly I felt like I had to choose between looking after my child or furthering my career. No wonder the ad world is still dominated by men…”
“Manifest not only supports me with flexible working, they actively help me support other parents through the positive-impact work we do with Tommee Tippee and Babyganics. So I can grow as a parent, grow my career and change the industry for the better.”
Record Year
For Manifest, 2021 was a record year in terms of commercial growth and creative reputation, according to founder and CEO, Alex Myers: “Kostas joining us last year coincided with a real leap in our international reputation at Manifest, which resulted in major growth in all markets. Katie’s appointment reflects another evolutionary step for us as we continue to grow and develop our services across the creative fields of branding, advertising, communications and content,” he said.
Manifest is the current International Agency of the Year according to the PR Week Global Awards – where it also picked up the grand prix award for Global Campaign of the Year for its work with Tommee Tippee. Myers was named Global Agency Leader of the Year by Campaign, which also shortlisted the agency for Integrated Agency of the Year.
“Like any agency, we live or die by the strength of our creative work, and Katie’s appointment shows our commitment to investment, improvement and innovation in that team. We are very lucky to have her on board,” added Alex.
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