Modus Operandi welcomed former Wieden + Kennedy senior interactive producer, Carl Whitehouse, to the company as director of agency services along with technical lead Roy Martin yesterday. The duo joined ModOp VP Shannon Clune to manage the company’s growing Portland office.
“It is always best to hire people smarter than oneself, and this forms the basis for ModOp PDX,” said executive creative director and ModOp co-founder Jeff Suhy. He also noted that the addition of Whitehouse and Martin speaks to the company’s role as agency partner in the digital engagement space.
Whitehouse is an integrated advertising and marketing expert with more than 10 years of experience creating and managing creative campaigns, both on and offline. At W+K, Whitehouse produced campaigns and programs across all media, earning M16, Cannes Lion and One Show awards. He has managed projects from a global perspective, including ROI and customer experience. In his agency role he served as solutions architect for clients and internal teams, including account planners, clients and creatives.
Prior to W+K, Whitehouse was an interactive producer at CMD Agency, leading the development of overall program/project strategy, managing of creative and technical execution for projects with Intel, Adidas, HP, Microsoft and Cisco. He has also served as a consultant and communications specialist at branding and software solutions agencies.
“Our role is to be a true partner and explore and define the possible,” Whitehouse said of ModOp’s agency services team. “Key to the process is our intrinsic understanding of agency life and demands, so that executions and ideas add brand value across the board.”
Martin brings his own accomplishments and skill set to his role as ModOp, overseeing and applying technical direction during the lifecycles of projects. During his career, Martin has created and launched hundreds of dynamic and award-winning web, mobile, Facebook and digital media campaigns, developed applications, content management, customer relations and e-commerce systems for numerous clients, including Electronic Arts, Nike, Microsoft, Smuckers and The YMCA. Martin’s body of work has garnered many accolades, including Cannes Lions, IMA, WMA and w3 awards. He is an active member of PDX-UX and Mobile Portland, and received the people’s choice award for Portland Startup Weekend in October 2011.
“From its start, Modus Operandi has pushed technical and creative boundaries with user experience,” Martin said. “Here, thought leaders who respect and encourage collaboration come together to innovate. And that’s incredibly exciting.”
Clune, who joined ModOp in 2011, is a two-time Webby Award winner with 15 years of experience leading digital teams in support of agencies and clients including W+K, HP, Intel, Nike Football, Golf, Lacrosse, and Nike+, EA Games, and Target among others. As a former vice president of Fleishman-Hillard’s Global Digital practice, he created and managed integrated communication programs for such clients as RIM BlackBerry, AT&T, the Federal Trade Commission, the White House office of National Drug Control Policy (the Youth Antidrug Campaign), and the Department of Defense.
“Modus Operandi has many of the best and brightest people in all disciplines, producing world-class creative,” Clune said, “With the addition of Carl and Roy, we knew that harnessing the company’s creativity via Portland – a place defined by an independent spirit and culture of innovation – was the next logical step.”
ModOp launched in Los Angeles 16 months ago, followed by the Portland hub, to create compelling and innovative campaigns across all distribution platforms. Talented experts from various fields – advertising, gaming, television promotion and digital production – founded the company, which has already made its impact with innovative and compelling digital campaigns for “Sims 3: Showtime” (featuring Katy Perry), Nike Golf, FedEx, Samuel Adams, Nivea, Pillsbury, EA Sports, FIFA 12 and Nike World Cup.
