NEW YORK, USA — Entertainment-first creative company Ralph is poised to make greater inroads in the US and abroad in 2025 with the hiring of industry vet Gareth Jones to the newly-created role of Global Chief Growth Officer, as well as acting Managing Director of its New York office.
Founded 20 years ago in London, Ralph’s entertainment-driven digital work for clients including Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu, AppleTV+, Spotify, and others, have led to the opening of offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo, along with a recent partnership with talent and content management firm Tulsea in Mumbai.
Gareth brings a wealth of relevant experience to the position, most recently serving as SVP, Global Marketing Director at VML and WundermanThompson. He was previously Managing Director of Possible Seattle, Chief Brand and Content Officer at DigitasLBi, and Global Marketing Director of LBi in London. He also spent 10 years as a journalist in the UK, including stints at Haymarket Media as editor of Marketing and Revolution magazines, and BBC Radio 4.
His global role includes growing the Ralph brand as a highly accomplished firm responsible for some of the entertainment industry’s most viral moments for hit shows including Squid Games, Breaking Bad, Stranger Things, The Bear, Black Mirror, Dexter, and others. He will also serve as acting managing director of Ralph’s New York office as the agency looks to fill that role.
“Gareth and I have known each other for many years, and now feels like the perfect time for him to join Ralph,” said Chris Hassell, CEO and Founder. “We’ve always shared the same values of wanting to put creativity first, and I’m confident he will help drive the next stage of Ralph’s evolution as an entertainment company, building communities and making stuff they love and share.”
“Ralph is bursting with talent, optimism and contagious creativity,” added Gareth Jones. “Joining the Ralph family gives me the opportunity to partner with some of the world’s best entertainment brands and make cool stuff that becomes part of culture. Chris and I share a strong vision for the future of the company, and will bring new energy, excitement and unpredictability to the way people consume and share the things they love.”
Ralph was established by Hassell and Iain Barrington-Light in 2005, first as a digital production and gaming company before later adding creative capabilities to develop highly engaging fan-first content and campaigns for top brands, including many of the world’s leading entertainment companies.
It has since expanded focus to include the making of documentary films, and recently launched Ralph magazine, a high-gloss quarterly print publication celebrating “Pop Culture For The Fun Of It,” covering music, film, TV, food & drink, comedy, comics, and more.