David Droga

David Droga (born July 27) is an Australian advertising executive and the founder of Droga5, an advertising agency headquartered in New York City. Since founding the agency in 2006, Droga has served as its creative chairman.^[1] He was previously worldwide creative director of Publicis Worldwide (2003 to 2006) and executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi London (1999 to 2003).^[2][3] David Droga's career was recently highlighted in 60 Minutes Australia called "Just Ad Droga" in June 2015.^[4]

Early career

Droga started his advertising career working in the mail room at Grey's Sydney office before enrolling in the Australian Writers and Art Directors School. After winning the National Top Student Award at age 18, he joined Sydney advertising agency Omon, where he later became a partner. At age 27, Droga became an executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, and at age 29 he moved to the agency's London office to become Worldwide Creative Director. During Droga's tenure, the Singapore office was named International Agency of the Year by Advertising Age, and the London office was named Global Agency of the Year by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.^[5][6]

Droga5

Droga left Publicis in 2006 to found Droga5 in New York City. Since its opening, Droga5—which was named one of Fast Company’s 2013 Most Innovative Companies, Adweek's 2012 and 2014 Agency of the Year, Adweek's Best Ad of 2014, Creativity's 2007, 2011 and 2014 Agency of the Year and one of Advertising Age's Best Places to Work in 2014 and A-List Agencies for five years in a row— has added offices in Sydney and London.^[7][8] David Droga has most recently led the agency to be named the 2015 One Show Agency of the Year; the 2015 Cannes Lion Agency of the Year; and the 2015 Effie's Most Effective Independent Marketing Agency. His creative leadership for Under Armour, helped the billion-dollar sports company earn 2014 Marketer of the Year for Ad Age and Newcastle's "If We Made It" to being named one of Inc Magazine's Top 10 Campaigns of the Decade in 2015.

On September 8, 2015 Droga5 announced it would be shutting its Sydney office in what David Droga described as a ‘bitter pill to swallow’ in closing his its underperforming Sydney office, just two months after the shock departure of executive creative director Steve Coll. ^[9]

Affiliations and recognition

Droga is an inductee to the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, the AWARD Hall of Fame and the American Advertising Federation's Hall of Achievement.^[10] He is a member of Facebook’s Creative Council, the New Museum’s Board of Trustees and William Morris Endeavor's board. He is a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for Boards magazine and Campaign Brief. Droga has also been honored by the American Australian Association and G'Day USA and with AdFest’s Lotus Legend award, Advance's Global Australian Award and the Advertising Club's Bravery Award.^[11][12][13]

Personal life

Droga grew up one of six children in Perisher, New South Wales, an Australian village where his father ran a ski resort. His Danish mother, an artist and poet, has lived in Australia since his childhood but is still a Danish citizen.^[14]

Droga now lives with his wife and 4 children in New York City.^[15]

References