Bauer Media has appointed former Creative Director at Initiative Media Lucy Banks as Executive Creative Director.
Lucy will be heading up commercial creativity across the Bauer Media portfolio, including the strategic and creative direction of Bauer Access
Access is Bauer Media's offering to provide clients and agencies with opportunities to collaborate with Bauer Media's key creators of content.
Lucy will report into Karen Stacey, Head of Broadcast and Bauer Access, on the commercial side with a direct line to Chief Executive Paul Keenan on Editorial matters. She will also work closely with Abby Carvosso, Head of Magazine Sales, and Editors and Programme Directors across the portfolio.
Paul commented:"This appointment endorses Bauer Media's commitment to create bespoke commercial solutions that deliver compelling content for consumers. Lucy's role is a pivotal one and will provide a link between the talent of the UK's most influential media brands at Bauer Media and the UK's most exciting advertisers.
"Lucy will ensure that our commercial partners have the opportunity to collaborate with the very best Editors and Programmers across our world-class products to develop bespoke solutions for their brands."
Karen added: "We launched Bauer Access back in November as a unique and modern offering that will harness the best ideas, innovation and insight we have to create original content and new routes for our customers to make deeper connections with consumers. Lucy will bring a new level of creative commercial experience and leadership to the whole Group, and ensure Bauer Media becomes the go-to portfolio for original and outstanding commercial solutions."
Lucy commented: "The concept of Access is a genuinely differentiating proposition from a media owner, and could only really happen at Bauer because of their portfolio which has both breadth and depth of appeal. The thing I’m most excited about is being able to get involved with all the juicy content that is created at Bauer. The building is full of hugely talented people who consistently deliver the sort of engaging content that influences behaviour. Every good client and brand planner wants to develop ideas that engage and influence an audience, so who better to work with than the people who make the most influential media?’"
In her previous role at ZenithOptimedia, she established 'OPEN' as the agency's planning philosophy, and helped move the agency brand into a more creative environment, developing a culture of idea generation and driving the creative product on a range of successful new business pitches.
Lucy left the agency at the end of 2008 to spend time with her family, and has worked as a consultant at Bauer Media since July 2010.