SHANGHAI – As Johan Vakidis leaves AKQA Shanghai after 6 years of service to pursue other opportunities, the agency has appointed Eric Cruz as its new Executive Creative Director.
“I have been extremely privileged to be part of AKQA. Having had the chance to create groundbreaking work with a tremendously talented team for inspiring clients has been the most gratifying experience of my career. I have learnt a great deal and it’s been an awesome ride,” said Vakidis.
Cruz will look after the growing Shanghai Creative team and their work for clients such as Budweiser, Nike and Tencent.
“AKQA to me represents a new school of creativity, a playground for ideas born from innovation. China has matured into a brave force to reckon with. Joining AKQA in Shanghai is an immense opportunity to explore new ways of seeing and doing things within a culture that thirsts and hungers for the new. I look forward to exploring, experimenting and tinkering with this network of innovators.”
Eric is an award-winning creative leader who brings with him close to 20 years of industry experience. He has a strong international background, having held various creative leadership positions in agencies across Asia, Europe and the US.
“Eric and I have known each other for a while, and have tried to work together in the past. Stars have now aligned and I am excited for what the future may hold for AKQA, particularly in China under Eric’s unparalleled creative leadership,” said Rei Inamoto, AKQA Chief Creative Officer.
He also worked in Leo Burnett Malaysia where he took over the award-winning copywriter, filmmaker and executive creative director and the most prominent face of the Malaysian advertising industry, Yasmin Ahmad who sadly passed away from complications following a stroke when she was only 51.
“I worked in the shadow of a giant. It worked out for me and I loved every minute [of it].”
Cruz believes that this move will take him closer to technology and innovation, and different ways of approaching creativity, “In 2000, I backpacked in China and it was the wild west. Now it such a dynamic market. It is the right time to be in China. AKQA Shanghai will be a regional hub for Asia Pacific.”
Eric Cruz started his creative career designing websites, packaging and identity systems and then went on to do bigger things like creating new ways for consumer engagement. Using a combination of all these skills, Cruz has taken brands such as Nokia, Google, Honda and Aiwa to new heights.
He also co-founded W+K Tokyo Lab at Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo, an experimental music label and creative think tank that helped reinvent the music industry while providing brands with compelling content in the form of live events to online experiences.
Cruz has worked for Imaginary Forces LA, W+K Portland, Tokyo and London, and Razorfish London.
