Brave Group appoints James Cloete as chief creative officer

Supplied. James Cloete is the new chief creative officer for The Brave Group

Cloete, who has been in the industry since his teenage years, has worked on a range of well-known brands and agencies throughout his career, most notably in the FMCG, Banking, Telco, and Automotive sectors.

He has worked on brands such as Standard Bank, Toyota, Vodacom, Old Mutual, MTN, Cell C, Nampak, Absa and Coca-Cola to name a few.

The recipient of awards both at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity and the One Show, he has also judged at Cannes, The New York Festival and The Loerie Awards and was part of a creative team that won a local Loeries Grand Prix.

He has been the executive creative partner at M&C Saatchi Abel from September 2019 till now and has worked at Wunderman South Africa, FCB Johannesburg, The Jupiter Drawing Room, NetworkBBDO and Leo Burnett.

Cloete says: “Brave Group has an enviable and respected reputation in the marketplace working with iconic brands both in the private and public sector.

“I am looking forward to working with a young and energetic team as we endeavour to nurture and grow a culture of creative excellence in the group and add more awards to the shelf in our foyer.”

Entrepreneurial experience

Brave Group CEO Karabo Songo says: “James is a welcome addition and will be working across all our operating companies.

“His insightful approach to creative thinking, insights, strategy, and its execution will not only help our clients amplify their business performance but his entrepreneurial experience over many years will be invaluable to our teams in terms of mentorship and guidance.”

Cloete replaces founding partner Vanessa Pearson who stepped back from the industry earlier this year.

“James has a global reputation for producing incisive work that is always perfectly attuned to brand strategy. He will be a welcome addition to the creative team as he strives to take the agency to a new creative level,” says Pearson.