chemistri Adds 'Top 50' Creative Talent to Lead Cadillac Creative Work

TROY, Mich., July 28 -- Rob Palmer has joined chemistri in Detroit as executive creative director on the agency's Cadillac account. Palmer is one of the most decorated creative directors in the business. For his culture-defining work on Nike, he was named one of the 50 Most Influential Men Under 37 in Details magazine's October 2002 issue. Palmer, 35, comes to chemistri from Wieden & Kennedy, where he has worked twice, doing category- leading advertising for ESPN and ESPN SportsCenter, Alta Vista, Miller High Life, Nike and Amazon.com . Among numerous distinctions, Palmer won the 2000 Grand Prize MPA Kelly award for his Alta Vista "Smart is Beautiful" campaign. He also won the Gold Lion at Cannes for the Alta Vista "Testicular Cancer" spot. He has won Addy, One Show and Clio awards for various work and an Emmy for his work on ESPN. Adweek named Palmer's Nike "Play" campaign the best of 2001. He created the acclaimed Tiger Woods "I Switched," and "Hacky Sack II" spots for Nike Golf.

At chemistri Palmer will assume creative leadership for the agency's Cadillac account. The ECD job is a new position, reporting to chemistri Chief Creative Officer Gary Topolewski. Topolewski said that Palmer "brings leadership and a special magic to one of the world's most iconic brands. Rob has done fabulous work for the leading brands in America -- ESPN, Nike, Apple, Levis, Coca-Cola. These are clients in tough categories that expect great ideas and innovative work. He will add spark and perspective to our 'Break Through' work for Cadillac."

"Rob can do so many things," Topolewski added. "He is an art director by training but has done a great deal of writing and has also directed a number of spots."

Palmer is a native of Boise, Idaho and a graduate of the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He began his career with Mark Fenske at the Bomb Factory in LA while still in school, working on everything from music videos for MTV to CAA ads for Coke. After 18 months at BBDO working with David Lubars on Pioneer Electronics, Glendale Federal Bank and Northrup Grumman, he landed at Wieden & Kennedy in 1995, where he cut his teeth on ESPN SportsCenter and Nike. He left Wieden in 2000 to become creative director on Apple at TBWA Chiat Day, where he helped to launch iMac Colors. He returned to Wieden later that year.

Palmer is excited about the chemistri opportunity. "chemistri isn't just about advertising; it's about creating ideas that touch the brand in every possible way. I'm thrilled to be working on Cadillac; it's one of the most famous and valuable brands in the world. Cadillac went through a down period, but now the division's back with amazing products and a drive to regain luxury market leadership. That challenge is hard to resist."

chemistri President & CEO Patrick Sherwood considers the addition of Palmer "yet another investment in chemistri's creative capital. I think it says something about chemistri and about our commitment to building General Motors brands that a man with Rob's creative credentials is coming to Detroit to join the battle."

chemistri (formerly D'Arcy Detroit) is a marketing communications agency -- an independent organization aligned strategically with Leo Burnett and part of the vast Publicis Groupe. chemistri consolidates global Publicis-General Motors relationships into one multi-disciplinary organization focused exclusively on General Motors. The agency's clients include Cadillac, Pontiac, GM Service and Parts Operations and several global GM operations. With origins back to The MacManus Company in 1911, the agency has served General Motors for more than 90 years.