Emotive continues to build its moat of talent by the beach.

Independent, Coogee based creative agency Emotive has appointed Praveen Vaidyanathan as Strategy Director and Karen Liddle as Resource Manager.

They join Emotive following a string of recent new business wins for the independent agency, including THE ICONIC, Nespresso, El Jannah and AMP North. And Praveen joins a growing strategy department, after the hire of Clement Simon as Head of Social & Content earlier this year.

Before Emotive, Praveen was VP, Strategy Director at Saatchi & Saatchi New York, leading strategy across Campbell Snacks’ US portfolio. And prior to that, he was Strategy Director at VICE / Virtue Scandinavia and Khanna\Reidinga Amsterdam, having started his planning career at George Patterson Y&R Melbourne. 

Praveen Vaidyanathan said: “For a not-so-beach person, working in a dive-shop-turned-agency in a suit, overlooking Coogee Oval, meditative waves on one side and distracting seagulls on the other, felt like just the right amount of juxtaposition. Of course, working with legends like Sebastian Revell and Gavin McLeod every day is a feast.”

In a career spanning Y&R, Leo Burnett and BMF, Karen Liddle brings a wealth of experience across production, project management, traffic and studio operations. Ideal for a role that will cover both production and resourcing responsibilities.

Specifically, following the recent launch of Emotive Productions in May, she will play a critical role in driving integration and collaboration across the creative and production companies, ensuring that thinking and making stay as one.

Karen Liddle said: “I’m so lucky to have found a group of like-minded people to work with. The values, the energy, the sheer hunger to “craft the hell out” of every single piece of work is exactly my kind of chaos, passion and love. I’m so excited to call myself an Emotive person!”

Chief Strategy Officer Sebastian Revell commented: ”They are both our newest architects behind creating ideas that change how people feel. Because the more strongly an idea makes people feel, the more attention it generates and the more commercial impact it earns.”

“Praveen isn’t someone who just ties his colours to any mast (topical Odysseus reference anyone…). he goes wherever interesting things are happening. So we’re absolutely thrilled that he’s seen that in what we’re building in Coogee, and we couldn’t be happier to have his cultural astuteness, and fondness for a suit on board.”

“Karen has brought a unique blend of creativity and operational precision to get the best out of us, and to get to our best work more effectively than ever. But most importantly, we’ve been blown away by her kindness and consideration for those around her and she has made us all better already – long may it continue!”

Continuing their run of beach-inspired announcement metaphors, Emotive says Praveen will shape problems and challenges into something worth building, and Karen makes sure it actually gets built, on time, without falling over.