VMLY&R boosts creative ranks with BBDO Pakistan's Hira Mohibullah

VMLY&R has boosted its creative firepower by hiring Hira Mohibullah from BBDO Pakistan as executive creative director.

Mohibullah, who was executive creative director at BBDO Pakistan, will work in Kansas City, Missouri and report to VMLY&R Chief Creative Officer for North America John Godsey, joining the ranks of the WPP agency's senior U.S. creative team. 

Named of Ad Age's 40 Under 40 in 2020, Mohibullah has won multiple awards for work that pushes social change in Pakistan, including #BridalUniform, a campaign for UN Women that highlighted child marriage by hijacking a bridal couture fashion show and putting a little girl in a school uniform on the catwalk. Another campaign, “Beat Me,” drew attention to domestic violence by challenging men to “beat” women at the things that women excel at.

Prior to her tenure at Omnicom Group's BBDO, she worked with Ogilvy and Leo Burnett, and has worked on clients including both Coca-Cola and Pepsi during her career. She has won more than 215 international awards for her work and has served on juries including Ad Age's Creativity awards in 2020, plus Cannes Lions, D&AD and the Gerety Awards. She has also focused on women's empowerment within the workplace; a mother of two, she has helped to set up a daycare at two of her previous workplaces, enabling more mothers to join and remain in the workforce.

Mobhibullah relocated to Kansas City with her family last week. A spokeswoman for VMLY&R said it could not confirm yet which clients she would work on; key clients in the Kansas City office include Wendy's and Sam's Club.

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"With her award-winning creative talent, wide-ranging experience, as well as strong design thinking, I am confident Hira will deliver exceptional approaches and solutions for our clients and continue to push creative momentum for the agency,” Godsey said in a statement.

"VMLY&R boasts of a phenomenal body of work that’s powered by human connection and I’m absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to drive that vision forward,” added Mohibulla. "I look forward to joining the great agency culture in Kansas City and working with its incredible roster of client partners.”