Eric Cruz Joins DDB San Francisco As Exec Inventive Director
Eric Cruz joined DDB San Francisco as Executive Creative Director and works with ECD Ben Wolan.
“Eric is different from me in a number of ways, and I know that,” said Wolan. “I wanted a partner who had different skills and experiences than me, but who shared the same passion for creativity as I did. Eric brings outstanding design and experience skills and with his global lens he will help us write more unexpected stories. I couldn’t be more excited to work with him, expand our creativity and expand the SF office. “
As a Filipino-American globalist, creative director, designer and educator, Cruz brings over 23 years of industry experience to the table. He has held various management positions at agencies around the world such as Sid Lee, AKQA, Leo Burnett and Wieden + Kennedy.
Most recently, as Sid Lee USA and Executive Creative Director for Innovation & Design at Digital Kitchen, Cruz was responsible for pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling, products, platforms and experiences for clients such as Facebook Reality Labs, Tubi, Journi, the Los Angeles Rams and Warner Brothers. Before that, as ECD of AKQA Shanghai, he headed the Greater China team and helped shape the future through innovative brand storytelling for Nike, Jordan, Converse, Apple, Airbnb, NBA, Diageo, J&J, Gore-Tex, Lycra, The. to help shape the city of Shanghai and Hong Kong. During his tenure as the creative director of Leo Burnett Malaysia, Cruz helped grow a traditional agency with 90 employees into a future-oriented agency with 320 employees.
Cruz started his career at Wieden + Kennedy, where he spent over 11 years in Portland, Tokyo and London. He was co-founder and director of the W + K Tokyo Lab, the agency’s creative think tank and experimental music brand. Cruz regularly lectures to inspire the next generation of talent and has taught design, advertising, and moving media at the Center for Creative Studies Detroit, Temple University Tokyo, and The One Academy Kuala Lumpur. Cruz was also a founding member of TEDx Shanghai, which aimed to spark China’s innovation renaissance through creative dialogue, exchange of ideas, and transformative evolution.
Cruz said, “The DDB network has a strong legacy and the vision to create Unexpected Works is one that I have followed throughout my career. The opportunity to deal with new economy brands and to explore new ways of brand building in the digital age and in Web 3.0 is super exciting. I am eager to shake things up with John (DDB SF President McCarthy), Ben and the great team at DDB SF. “
Cruz has received worldwide recognition on a number of fronts including the Tokyo ADC, Cannes Lions, ADC New York, One Show, D&AD, Spikes Asia, AdFest, The Webbys, and Japan Media Arts Festival.
