After an extensive global search, Saatchi & Saatchi LA has been selected industry veteran Jason Schragger as chief creative officer, a newly formed role at the premier advertising agency. Saatchi LA has been the agency of record for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) for more than 30 years, and it's undoubtedly Schragger's experience in advertising for motor companies such as Ford, Mercedes, BMW Mini, Mitsubishi and Nissan that helped him secure the role at the agency, where he will lead the creative approach for the automotive firm. The 40 year old Schragger is a native of Zimbabwe, and has spent almost two decades working all over the world in the automotive space.
Saatchi LA has been the agency of record for Toyota for more than 30 years, and it's undoubtedly Schragger's experience with motor companies that helped him secure the role
Schragger landing his first executive creative director post at Lowe and Partners in Singapore when he was just 27, and scored a Cannes Gold Lion for his work there on the IKEA account. He also held similar posts at StrawberryFrog, BSUR and Plantage, before joining the TBWA family, where he remained until his appointment at Saatchi LA. He boasts not only vast experience in the automobile industry, but has also made significant contributions in hands-on creative oversight for diverse global brands like Adidas, HSBC, and Johnnie Walker.
Jason Schragger
Saatchi LA president, Chuck Maguy, says he is “Ecstatic to have Jason Schragger join the team of incredibly talented professionals” at the agency, leading the creative approach for Toyota. Maguy calls Schragger a “Tremendous communicator and listener who has gleaned a great deal of insight from leadership figures throughout the course of his career,” and feels he has “Proven his ability to understand the needs of his clients and create spectacular results for them time and again." Schragger thanks Maguy “For the opportunity to be Saatchi & Saatchi LA's first-ever Chief Creative Officer," and says that as somebody who came of age in the industry (quite literally), Saatchi LA has been an agency he's always held in the highest possible regard. He is “Excited and humbled to have such an amazing opportunity” in front of him at his new home.
Jason Schragger thanks Chuck Maguy “For the opportunity to be Saatchi & Saatchi LA's first-ever Chief Creative Officer."
The agency hadn't had a chief creative officer, so until now, executive creative directors Margaret Keene and Chris Adams had been running creative for the agency. Adams left Saatchi LA in November though, and now Keene will report to Schragger. The agency first decided to create the post in December last year, when Toyota announced a "more cohesive marketing approach to paid, earned and owned media" and placed separate agencies into a model referred to as "Total Toyota," or 'T2'. Saatchi LA was selected to spearhead this new model alongside other agencies such as Burrell Communications, Zenith and InterTrend Communications, which hold existing Toyota partnerships.
A still from Saatchi LA's campaign for the Toyota Camry
News of Schragger's appointment arrives less than two months after it was announced that Toyota will be relocating its North American sales and marketing team from California to Texas. Obviously this raises questions as to whether or not Saatchi LA will relocate to Texas themselves, but thus far the agency is reluctant to confirm one way or another. Maguy released a statement which stated that “Since Toyota's announcement of their future relocation in April,” they have been “Engaged in regular discussion with them to determine the best way,” in which they can “Support Toyota's marketing efforts upon commencement of operations in Plano, Texas.” Jack Hollis, vice president of marketing at Toyota is enthusiastic in welcoming Schragger “To the Toyota family at Saatchi,” and believes that "Toyota's Brand Leadership Team will benefit from Jason's years of diverse, creative experience.”
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from the UK whose first car just so happened to be a Toyota. He sold it for a Ford Fiesta and misses it terribly.
