Matt Cumming takes ECD gig at Lavender filling vacuum left by departure of Luke Chess in Jan

July 15 2011, 9:47 am | BY Lynchy | 27 Comments

Screen shot 2011-07-15 at 9.44.03 AM.jpgLavender Sydney has lured Bienalto, Sydney creative director Matt Cumming to the role of ECD, filling the vacuum left by the departure of former ECD Luke Chess to Clemenger BBDO, Sydney in January.

Cumming has been a top creative for 25 years, commencing his career as an art director at Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney. He then joined The Ball Partnership in the early 90s – hired by then ECD Tom Moult, himself a former Saatchi art director. Cumming was arguably Australia’s first digital creative director when the agency formed a digital division in 1995.

Ball eventually was renamed Euro RSCG and in his time there he grew its digital division from one person to more than 50 people. He then went on to help create the same level of growth at M&C Saatchi/Mark in 2002.

“I was very flattered when asked by Will and the managing partners at Lavender if I would be interested in taking the role” says Cumming, “Lavender has been a great brand in my mind for years. I admire their values as an agency and they have some exceptionally good people.”

Says Rebecca James, managing partner at Lavender: “We’ve been searching for a great creative talent who will truly embrace the power of our technical capabilities. Someone who understands that marketing is increasingly about relationship. Establishing it and building it. Matt is that person.”

Adds Cumming: “A lot of the big agencies complain of the increasing fragmentation of media. An agency like Lavender instead sees the proliferation of rich targeting opportunities. By combining direct discipline with technical and data intelligence, strategic smarts and great creative Lavender is incredibly well placed to succeed well in this new era of marketing. Which is why I’m excited to be on board.”