#bbdoatlanta

Atlanta is a city in the state of Georgia that experiences some of the worst traffic in the world. However, the traffic on the roads of Atlanta isn’t even comparable to the Child sex trafficking epidemic in the state. In a bid to tackle the issue head-on, attorney general Christopher M. Carr partnered with a non-profit organization called Street Grace to deliver a compelling campaign. The event called Stop Traffic was kicked off by a press conference hosted by the attorney general himself. What followed the press conference was a caravan of 72 school buses that embarked on the roads of Atlanta with a powerful message about Child sex trafficking in the state of Georgia. The idea was conceptualized by the marketing firm BBDO Atlanta, and the message it delivered was simple. Each bus represented 50 kids that are subjected to sex trafficking in Georgia. The chain of 72 buses symbolized the estimated number of 3600 kids in the American state who are victimized by sex traffickers.

We are thrilled to confirm that Robin Fitzgerald, Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Atlanta, is joining AD STARS 2019 as an Executive Judge. She is traveling to AD STARS from Atlanta where she lives with her husband, two kids, and her cat, Mush.

“I’m excited to be travelling to South Korea in August, which is certainly a mecca for technology and innovation right now. More than that, I’m drawn to the fact that AD STARS is a creative festival that doesn’t profit from entry fees, so it’s inclusive of smaller agencies as well as bigger networks. I’m looking forward to experiencing first-hand what the festival is all about,” she says.

Fitzgerald completes a phenomenal line-up of Executive Judges for AD STARS 2019 joining Melvin Mangada of TBWA/Santiago Mangada Puno in the Philippines; Jureeporn Thaidumrong of GREYnJ UNITED in Thailand; Dentsu Asia Pacific’s Ted Lim, who is based in Singapore; and Joanna Monteiro, FCB Brazil in Sao Paulo.

She has worked at many of America’s most acclaimed agencies including Crispin Porter + Bogusky and TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles. In 2016, she moved to Atlanta as BBDO Atlanta’s Chief Creative Officer, becoming the network’s first female Chief Creative Officer in the United States.

At Crispin Porter + Bogusky, where she worked from 2002, Fitzgerald helped to launch MINI's highly awarded U.S. campaign. At Chiat, she created work for Gatorade, Visa, Energizer, and every model of Nissan vehicle. Then in 2010, Crispin Porter + Bogusky lured her back to work on major brands like Old Navy, Grey Poupon, Vitaminwater and Paypal – she actually helped to launch PayPal’s first-ever Super Bowl ad.

“Robin is a trailblazer when it comes to fighting for great work, tapping into popular culture, and incorporating technology and analytics into her ideas. Having worked at many of America’s top agencies, she brings a unique perspective to our jury panel and we are honoured to welcome her to AD STARS 2019,” says Hwan Jin Choi, Chair of the AD STARS Executive Committee.

Fitzgerald has won countless awards, and she’s an experienced juror having participated on juries for D&AD, Clios, Art Director’s Club, One Show and New York Festivals. But even more exciting is the fact that her work has been consistently picked up by the non-advertising world, being parodied on Saturday Night Live, featured on the NBC Nightly News, NPR, Entertainment Weekly and US Weekly. She has even been nominated for an Emmy.