R/GA Nabs JWT's Rasmussen to Man Nike Account

Robert Rasmussen, the man who helped create the Jet Blue Story Booth while at JWT and the Sega Beta 7 program at W+K New York, has been hired by R/GA to serve as the Nike account’s executive creative director.

Rasmussen will replace, and report to, Nick Law, who is now R/GA’s North American chief creative officer. In his new job, Rasmussen will oversee creative work across the Nike account including Nike+, Nike Running, NIKEiD, Nike Basketball, Nike Women, Nike Gridiron, NikeStore and Nike.com, said R/GA in announcing the hire.

The company said Rasmussen will lead “a large team” and shepherd campaigns that will include online, mobile and retail ads.

In a statement, Law said Rasmussen, “is the perfect choice to lead the Nike team because he can connect with customers in new and innovative ways and has the ability to create compelling narratives.”

Rasmussen, 38, spent about two years at JWT, where he was hired by Ty Montague as creative director for the JetBlue account. He is credited with bringing together into a single team that agency’s in-house interactive and traditional talent. The JetBlue Story Booth was an interactive video installation that appeared in 12 cities and collected stories that became the campaign’s voice, said R/GA.

Rasmussen worked for more than seven years at Wieden+Kennedy (W+K) Portland. In that position, he created many Nike campaigns, experience upon which R/GA hopes to capitalize.

For W+K New York’s Sega account, worked with the Blair Witch Project’s Mike Monello and Jim Gunshanan to help create the “Beta 7” fractured narrative campaign that spanned four months and mixed various sites, viral video, blogs, television spots, print and direct mail.