Manifest Melbourne has announced the appointment of Katie Harrison as its new group associate creative director, strengthening its global creative team.
Harrison’s background includes senior creative positions at Wieden+Kennedy, Special Group and most recently Facebook parent company, Meta. She is also a published author and lecturer on Narrative and Voice at Central Saint Martins.
Harrison’s diverse and multi-channel background makes her the ‘perfect fit’ for the global brand communications agency’s creative team, according to the agency’s global executive creative director, Kostas Karanikolas.
“Katie is one of the most talented creatives I’ve ever worked with. She’s an amazing writer with strategic acumen,” he said.
“A true hybrid thinker who comes from the brand world but also excels in participatory campaign work.
“Katie has an impressive track record of delivering culture-shifting ideas across myriad industries, working with brands like Nike, Orange, Chambord and Uber in some of the world’s best creative agencies. The whole team is excited to have her on board,” Karanikolas added.
Left to right: Kostas Karanikolas and Alex Myers
Harrison will join Manifest’s ‘24-hour’ creative team spanning studios in London, Manchester, Stockholm, New York and Melbourne. Her most recent role was as senior creative in Meta’s Creative X team and her experience spans a broad spectrum of creative skills and channels from nature writing to the Metaverse.
Harrison said of her new role: “After leaving Wieden+Kennedy, I worked with incredible agencies and brands. The world felt like my oyster. But when I had my daughter, I began to see a different side of the business.
“The creative industry is not set up to support mothers. Suddenly I felt like I had to choose between looking after my child or furthering my career. No wonder the ad world is still dominated by men.”
“Manifest not only supports me with flexible working, they actively help me support other parents through the positive-impact work we do with Tommee Tippee and Babyganics. So I can grow as a parent, grow my career and change the industry for the better,” she added.
Manifest founder and CEO, Alex Myers said of the agency’s growth: “Kostas joining us last year coincided with a real leap in our international reputation at Manifest, which resulted in major growth in all markets.
“Katie’s appointment reflects another evolutionary step for us as we continue to grow and develop our services across the creative fields of branding, advertising, communications, and content,” he added.