“The design directors will drive the culture of what’s happening in the studio, while I’ll take a broader view,” Dunn explained. “We have tremendous talent here, and the leads should keep a sharp focus on getting the very best work from each and every one of our creatives.”
Dunn sees the talent buildup as one component in a broader company overhaul. “This is the first step in a cultural reboot that will bring our clients a revamped Charlex over the next several months,” noted Dunn, who sees room for more high-concept work along the lines of the studio’s acclaimed One Rat Short and ShapeShifter. “I think people already appreciate our talent and the scale and scope of the jobs we accomplish, but we are so renowned for our visual effects and beauty work that it’s easy to overlook the sheer talent and imagination that we have on staff.”
Dunn’s promotion follows a string of inspiring work, including a heartwarming animated Verizon piece, one Subway spot using a tricky combination of visual effects and stop motion and another in hyper-real animated 3D, an imaginative live-action/CG hybrid for AT&T, and a trio of ads for Sherwin-Williams starring the humble mailbox as a main character. Other recent work includes commercial projects for GlobalHue, McDonald’s and NCPC.
Charlex founder and creative director Alex Weil will continue to direct projects on a daily basis and will remain fully involved with all aspects of the company. “People who know me will understand that the most exciting part of all this for me is that I don’t know precisely what to expect other than that Ryan will make this new journey fun, fully engaging and creatively great.”
