Observed Signal · Sep 12, 2026 · Hiring · Source: Brandtech · Impact: 3.5/5
Brandtech Group Appoints Chris Garbutt as Global Chief Creative Officer to lead high craft AI storytelling and experience
Brandtech Group, described as the world's leading Gen AI marketing group, appointed Chris Garbutt as Global Chief Creative Officer. Garbutt, a four-time Cannes Lions Grand Prix winner, joins from Vice Media Group, where he was Chief Creative Officer and Co-President of Virtue. He will lead high-craft AI storytelling and experience for global brands, effective immediately.
The appointment of a high-profile creative leader with major industry awards signals the intensifying competition for creative talent in the Gen AI marketing space and strengthens Brandtech's positioning against traditional agencies.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Brandtech Group announced the appointment of Chris Garbutt as Global Chief Creative Officer in New York on September 11, 2026.
- Garbutt previously served as Chief Creative Officer and Co-President of Virtue at Vice Media Group, and earlier spent 5 years as Global Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\Worldwide and 8 years at Ogilvy Paris and New York.
- Garbutt has won four Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Apple, IBM, and Google, and worked on campaigns including Apple's Shot on iPhone and IBM's Smarter Cities.
- Brandtech's Gen AI marketing platform Pencil has created more than 10 million ads across 10,000 brands since 2018.
- Brandtech created the first fully Gen AI spot for Super Bowl weekend for client NetApp earlier in 2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Brandtech Group, described as the world's leading Gen AI marketing group, appointed Chris Garbutt as Global Chief Creative Officer.”
“Before TBWA, Garbutt spent 8 years as Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy Paris and New York.”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Brandtech Appoints Regional CEOs to Drive AI Innovation
Brandtech Group has appointed three regional chief executives—Lisa De Bonis for the U.K., Jeff Matisoff for North America, and Julie Hardy for France—to strengthen its leadership in key markets with an AI-forward focus. Lisa De Bonis joins from Huge, where she served as global CEO and chief experience and product officer, and previously held roles at Accenture Interactive. Jeff Matisoff, who joined Brandtech in 2021, previously served as global president of Eightbar (IBM’s dedicated agency) while at WPP and helped lead the acquisition and integration of digital marketing company Jellyfish, which manages more than $2 billion in billings. The hires are positioned to bolster Brandtech’s market leadership and AI capabilities in those regions.
Craft Creative Launches Human-Led AI Video Production
Craft Creative, a Charleston-based video production company and premium subsidiary of VIP Marketing, announced a human-led approach to AI video production. The hybrid model combines generative AI tools with professional strategy, scripting, creative direction, editing, and quality control so that people remain responsible for idea, brand accuracy, story and final output. Founder Eric Elliott is quoted emphasizing that AI accelerates idea exploration but does not replace creative judgment. The company described use cases including concept visualization, AI-generated environments/characters, footage organization, audio cleanup, and multi-platform versioning, and highlighted a recent 'Christmas in July' campaign that used AI-generated visuals directed by its creative team. The article was published by MarTech Series on 2026-07-24.
Star appoints Thomas Biedermann Global Head of Media & Advertising
Star, a global technology consultancy, has appointed Thomas Biedermann as Global Head of Media & Advertising. Biedermann brings more than two decades of international media and advertising leadership across agency and client-side roles. He will lead Star’s global media strategy, deepen agency relationships and expand services to help brands build AI-ready marketing capabilities, modernize in-house MarTech and integrate brand-agency systems. Star cites a 2025 Forrester Consulting study it commissioned showing fragmented marketing systems and limited seamless data integration between brands and agencies. Biedermann’s prior roles include Managing Partner at iProspect, SVP & Managing Director at Merkle | DWA, and senior media roles at Sky Deutschland. Michael Schreibmann, CEO and Co-founder of Star, commented on the hire and the company’s focus on agency and brand transformation in the AI era.
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