No Fixed Address has added a top-tier team to oversee creative at the agency, with the hiring of Alexis Bronstorph and Kelsey Horne as co-chief creative officers.
The duo spent the last four years at Taxi as CCOs, overseeing work for clients including Audi, Volkswagen, Canadian Tire, Canada Life and United Way. Some of their standout work includes “Unignorable” for United Way, and “Shoppable Girls” for Covenant House.
“Bringing in amazing talent like Alexis and Kelsey will help to push our overall creative output,” said NFA president Mark Carpenter. “They won’t change the way we work, but we are excited about what they will add to our work and our culture.”
With their arrival, Dave Federico, who was hired as chief creative officer with Josh Budd in 2018, is leaving the agency. (Budd joined Citizen Relations as CCO last year.)
Taxi’s president Emma Toth said Bronstorph and Horne are leaving the agency on “great terms.”
“As for their replacement, I can’t tell you too much other than we’re taking our time and casting a wide net,” she said. “We have such strong senior creative leadership, from Vancouver through to New York City, we’re able to be measured and thoughtful in our approach.”
No Fixed Address has grown steadily since launching in late 2016, establishing itself as an upper echelon agency in Canada, and expanding beyond traditional creative to build significant health, PR and media practices. It has grown to 200 employees, and includes Questrade, Little Caesars Pizza, Telefilm Canada, Canadian Centre for Child Protection, and Sunnybrook among its clients.
In terms of creative output, the agency shot up the just released Creative Power List ranking for 2021 from the Institute of Canadian Agencies, reaching the eighth spot from 57 last year (the list awards points based on nine top Canadian and global awards shows). However, the agency has also demonstrated a willingness to add top creative talent in the industry when possible.
It hired Jordan Doucette in February 2020, followed by Greg Hahn to launch Mischief at No Fixed Address in New York a few months later. NFA was unable to hold onto Doucette, who returned to the U.S. with FCB West, but the hiring of Hahn has been paying off, with Mischief growing fast and gaining traction in the busy New York ad market.
“NFA has been creating the transformational and effective work we love to see in the world. And working with so many talented people across so many different disciplines was incredibly appealing to us,” said Bronstorph in a release announcing their hiring.
“NFA has been making some undeniable noise in the last few years,” added Horne. “We are thrilled to be part of such a smart, entrepreneurial group who know that creativity is at the core of what we do, and aren’t afraid to use it. We can’t wait to bring our energy to the team.”
The addition of Horne and Bronstorph comes just days after the agency announced the hiring of Katie Newman as its new partner, global CMO for both NFA and Mischief. She joined from Publicis Groupe, where she was CMO for its U.S. creative agencies.
“We’re fortunate to partner with someone of Katie’s calibre and experience as we transition to the next level,” said Dave Lafond, CEO and co-founder of NFA Inc, in a release. “We have a lot of momentum and exciting things ahead and the addition of Katie allows us to accelerate our plans.”
