RPA Promotes Four in Creative Department

Santa Monica, Calif., June 26, 2012 - RPA, the independent West Coast advertising agency that continues to grow in size and billings, has elevated four talents in its creative department, promoting Tom Hamling to VP, Creative Director, Ken Pappanduros to Creative Director, and Hobart Birmingham and Perrin Anderson each to Associate Creative Director.

Tom Hamling has lent his considerable talent to major campaigns for some of the most prominent brands in the world-including Adidas, Sprite, Lego, and Sony, as well as the iconic "Got Milk?" campaign. Hamling joined the RPA team as a freelancer in 2010 and his exceptional work on campaigns for Farmers Insurance and Newport Beach Film Festival catapulted the talented Nashville native into the role of Creative Director before his latest advancement to VP, Creative Director.

Hobart Birmingham, whose lanky frame first graced RPA's halls in 2006, is an invaluable creative asset to the agency. "Hobart has become a go-to problem-solver on tough assignments," stated RPA EVP/ECD Joe Baratelli. Faced with budget constraints and the demand for a full-line campaign, Birmingham created the heralded "Everybody Knows Somebody Who Loves a Honda" concept. He created the acclaimed Facebook "Naughty-or-Nice-a-Tron" to engage consumers over the holidays. When Honda wanted a campaign to keep its brand top-of-mind in the absence of new models, he created the "Good Reasons" campaign starring actor Patrick Warburton.

Perrin Anderson, who joined the agency in the summer of 2005 as a floater, has shown his writing prowess on several successful Honda campaigns over the years. Not only did he play an important role in "Everybody Knows Somebody Who Loves a Honda," "Naughty-or-Nice-a-Tron" and "Good Reasons," but he also made major contributions to the recent CR-V "Forecast" and Accord "Through It All" spots. "Perrin has shown that gentlemanly conduct and creative acumen are not mutually exclusive," noted Baratelli. "Clients love working with him, and so do we."

In Ken Pappanduros' short tenure with RPA, he has made a huge impression. "Ken's guidance, wisdom and thoughtfulness seems to have permeated the entire agency," said Baratelli. Working with his partner, Chuck Blackwell, Pappanduros has delivered several incredibly well-received campaigns, most notably the multifaceted "Leap List" campaign for the CR-V that included the much-lauded "Matthew's Day Off" Super Bowl spot.

"Ken is a champion of the big idea," continued Baratelli. "He is able to first recognize its potential and then guide it to its success, overseeing the many details in today's fast-paced multimedia landscape in a relaxed manner."