TOKYO Graham Kelly has confirmed his departure from BBH Japan, and is expected to move into a role that offers integrated opportunities across multiple markets.
Kelly joined BBH as ECD in October 2005, after departing Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore earlier in the year. At the time, his arrival at BBH was viewed as an attempt to boost the agency's below-the-line creative output, given Kelly's interactive and direct awards haul. "It's fairly simple - I enjoyed myself immensely in Japan, but it's a tough market to crack,"said Kelly.
'Sometimes you just go into a place and it's not quite a direct fit for no real reason. It's been very amicable but, long-term, I didn't feel it was the best place to be. I've got a lot of respect for BBH, and one of the reasons I went there was to build up integrated, and I think we've made real progress."
Kelly also brushed aside speculation linking him to a regional integrated role at JWT, saying that there were several offers he was currently considering. At Saatchis, Kelly oversaw a client roster that included Guinness, the Republic of Singapore Navy, and Lexus, winning awards at Cannes, Media's Spikes and the Clios. Prior to joining Saatchis, Kelly spent three years at Ogilvy Interactive.
