LONDON – Independent brand communications agency Manifest has appointed Katie Harrison as group associate creative director to bolster its creative studios around the world.

Harrison joins from Meta, where she was a senior creative in the in-house integrated agency, Creative X team. She has also worked in creative positions at ad agencies Wieden+Kennedy and Special Group.

In her new role, Harrison will join Manifest’s ‘24-hour’ creative team spanning studios in London, Manchester, Stockholm, New York and Melbourne. The agency is also planning to launch in Los Angeles.

Harrison will work with Manifest’s global executive creative director Kostas Karanikolas, who joined the agency last year from WPP, where he was global ECD.

Karanikolas said: “Katie is one of the most talented creatives I’ve ever worked with. She’s an amazing writer with strategic acumen. A true hybrid thinker who comes from the brand world but also excels in participatory campaign work. Katie has an impressive track record of delivering culture-shifting ideas across myriad industries, working with brands like Nike, Orange, Chambord and Uber in some of the world’s best creative agencies. The whole team is excited to have her on board.”

Harrison added: “After leaving Wieden+Kennedy, I worked with incredible agencies and brands. The world felt like my oyster. But when I had my daughter, I began to see a different side of the business. The creative industry is not set up to support mothers. Suddenly I felt like I had to choose between looking after my child or furthering my career. No wonder the ad world is still dominated by men.

“Manifest not only supports me with flexible working, they actively help me support other parents through the positive-impact work we do with Tommee Tippee and Babyganics. So I can grow as a parent, grow my career and change the industry for the better.”

According to founder and CEO Alex Myers, 2021 was a record growth year for Manifest: “Kostas joining us last year coincided with a real leap in our international reputation at Manifest, which resulted in major growth in all markets. Katie’s appointment reflects another evolutionary step for us as we continue to grow and develop our services across the creative fields of branding, advertising, communications and content.

“Like any agency, we live or die by the strength of our creative work, and Katie’s appointment shows our commitment to investment, improvement and innovation in that team. We are very lucky to have her on board.”