The founder and managing director of Wieden+Kennedy’s creative technology division The Lodge are leaving the agency to start their own venture. Over the last five years, managing director Paulo Ribeiro and director of creative technology Nilesh Ashra have led The Lodge’s 25-person staff in emerging technologies, such as AI and robotics, to help W+K create products and experiences for major brands like Nike, KFC, and Samsung.
Under Ribeiro and Ashra, The Lodge created projects like Nike’s Live Design custom sneaker lab, an interactive intro experience for Samsung’s Gear VR, a virtual reality employee training game for KFC, and a Reddit-based interactive game for Anki’s Cozmo robot.
A Wieden+Kennedy spokesperson said, “We are proud of the work being done by this talented group. As we take Lodge to its next edge we want to thank Nilesh and Paulo for their contribution to the journey and wish them well.”
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