Boyd Hicklin, ECD of the sport and entertainment specialist agency, commented. “It’s an exciting hire for us. An experienced, passionate and very talented creative, joining our growing team and bolstering our creative stocks. It’s not easy to find award-winning talent with a deep understanding of the sponsorship space, and he’s a brilliant guy to boot. John’s going to bring great thinking, leadership and energy to the Sydney office and I can’t wait to get started with him.”

John is also positive about the move and keen to get started. “I love being able to create unique experiences for fans, experiences that generously reward their passions in sport and entertainment. To be doing this at Gemba and having the opportunity to work alongside some of the best people in the industry, it’s amazing.”

Andrew Condon, Managing Director of Gemba said, “This hire confirms our intent to build on our creative strengths and realise our aspiration of being the leading creative agency in sport and entertainment. We’re recognising the evolving behaviours of fans and the changing needs of our clients, and John joining us is an exciting next step in the evolution of our creative offer.”

Weir has spent over 15 years working in design, branding and advertising in both Sydney and London, with a growing focus on sport, entertainment and culture. Most recently he’s been Creative Director of Octagon Australia, where he connected big brands with some of the world’s best athletes, artists, global sporting properties and events, creating engaging and effective campaigns, brand experiences and content.

He was previously Creative Director for Optus, working with numerous agencies to produce a wide range of memorable sponsorship campaigns and establishing an internal creative agency.

John Weir commences immediately at Gemba, working alongside Hicklin and the Melbourne-based studio team.