Droga5's David Nobay starts new Australian agency with Publicis Worldwide

Nobay (widely known as “Nobby”) launched Droga5 Sydney eight years ago. He took a short break from the industry following the agency's closure. 

“When Droga5 closed its doors here, I had two options: either lay back and take a breather or get straight back in the game," commented Nobay. "A single call from Paris made my decision a simple one. Marcel is special. Anne de Maupeou, Marcel’s creative leader in France, is someone I instantly connected with. And the fact that Iona [Macgregor], my strategic partner next year, is a “Marcel original” clinched it. Game on.”

Nobay will lead the new agency when it officially launches in early January and will join the Publicis Worldwide Global Creative Board. He will also take up the newly created role of creative chairman of Publicis Worldwide Australia, working closely with CEO Andrew Baxter and Iona Macgregor, chief strategy officer. 

"Nobby’s talent and experience make him the perfect person to lead Marcel Sydney in this exciting new step," said Arthur Sadoun, global CEO of Publicis Worldwide.

Marcel Sydney will launch with a major foundation client; Heineken-owned Tiger Beer, which used to work with Droga5 Sydney. The new agency will act as Tiger’s lead agency globally. 

“We instinctively feel that our creative journey with Nobby is far from over," said Mie Leng Wong, Tiger Beer’s global marketing head. "We’re delighted to be his founding client and excited by the strategic and creative firepower we can now rely upon across the Marcel global network.”

Marcel describes itself as a "creative hotshop" and attributes its name to Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, the original founder of Publicis. The boutique network has offices in Shanghai, Paris, New York and São Paulo. Marcel Sydney will be based within Publicis Worldwide’s Sydney offices in Millers Point.

“The launch of Marcel Sydney is a truly exciting moment for us in APAC," said Loris Nold, CEO of Publicis APAC. "We’ve been focusing on attracting the best global talents to Publicis APAC, and Nobby will be a fantastic partner to drive creative excellence and help elevate our impact for clients beyond expectations.”