BBH USA appoints a new chief creative officer from Publicis New York

Publicis Groupe's BBH USA has named Erica Roberts as its new chief creative officer, replacing Rafael Rizuto, who is heading to Dentsu Creative.

Roberts has been with Publicis for over 15 years and most recently served as the chief creative officer of Publicis New York. Roberts has helped relaunch 10 brands within The J.M. Smucker Co. portfolio, including Jif, Folgers, Milkbone and Café Bustelo. Recent campaigns that Roberts led include “Jif vs Gif” and “Lil Jif Project,” which included a spot starring Ludacris.

Roberts' appointment is one of several big changes at the agency this year. BBH USA promoted Amani Duncan CEO in February and AMV BBDO exec Alex Grieve joined BBH as global and London chief creative officer in January.

“Erica has talent to burn,” Grieve said in a statement.  “She’s won everything there is to win. But, much more than that, she has character. Her huge ambition is matched only by her huge heart. She’s empathetic, straight-talking and resilient. Erica is the shepherd this flock of black sheep needs. We expect great things.”

Publicis didn’t immediately confirm who will be filling Roberts' role. Roberts will report to Carla Serrano, chief strategy officer of Publicis Groupe, and will also join BBH’s global board, which was formed in October 2021, following the departure of Neil Munn as global CEO.

Other recent changes for BBH USA include the consolidation of its previous New York and Los Angeles offices with the BBH Entertainment Arm in July 2021. A few months later, the agency’s Chief Strategy Officer Tom Callard departed to join Blackstone, and Duncan was promoted to her current role. The agency also recently gave Kasia Canning and Estefanio Holtz executive creative director roles in August.

Under Duncan and Rizuto’s tenure, the agency went from two clients to 11 and released notable work such as Google’s Black-owned Friday. Some of the agency’s current clients include Samsung, Google, Mattel’s Barbie, Netflix, Martell U.S. and Brighthouse Financial.

“BBH USA has built a strong creative reputation in the U.S. for championing and producing culturally relevant and diverse ideas and experiences for brands,”  Duncan said in a statement. “With Erica joining us and our team of creative all-stars, we will continue to bring this approach to life—both in the work we do for our clients and in the culture we create for our people.”