VIA appoints Matt O’rourke as Chief Creative Officer

Advertising and marketing agency VIA has appointed Matt O’Rourke as Chief Creative Officer, strengthening the agency’s senior leadership as it continues to scale its creative offering. Based in Portland, the advertising and marketing agency confirmed the appointment takes effect immediately.

Matt O’Rourke will report to Leeann Leahy, CEO of VIA, and join the executive leadership team. He will be responsible for setting the agency’s creative vision and overseeing creative output across the client portfolio as VIA advances its growth strategy.

Strengthening creative leadership at VIA

Leeann Leahy, CEO, VIA: "Matt is exactly the kind of creative leader this moment demands. He represents a new generation of creativity, one that understands how audiences behave, how media evolves, and how creative is expected to perform in the real world. Matt is the right leader for the future of our business because he knows that today’s most engaging and entertaining ideas must also be accountable, strategic, and commercially effective."

Matt O’Rourke joins VIA after co-founding SUPER SERIOUS and holding senior creative leadership roles across multiple global agencies, including Wieden+Kennedy, Crispin, Grey and McCann. His work has received industry recognition, including Cannes Lions awards and inclusion in ADWEEK’s Best Advertising Voices.

Experience across global brands and major campaigns

Throughout his career, Matt O’Rourke has led creative work for brands such as Old Spice, Volvo, Taco Bell, Burger King, Nintendo and MasterCard. His experience also includes a key creative role on several Super Bowl campaigns.

One of his most recognised projects, Old Spice’s Muscle Music, combined physical performance and digital technology by transforming Terry Crews’ muscle movements into musical instruments. The activation gained widespread cultural attention and demonstrated the use of technology-driven storytelling to engage audiences.

Creative focus on participation and long-term value

In his role at VIA, Matt O’Rourke will focus on building brands that foster deep loyalty and invite audiences to participate in value creation. His approach centres on designing brand experiences that audiences choose to engage with across multiple media channels, prioritising sustained value over short-term attention.

Matt O’Rourke, Chief Creative Officer, VIA: "VIA has a clear understanding that creativity is a driver of growth, not an afterthought. From our first conversation, it was clear this is a team focused on making work people genuinely care about, work that shows up in culture, not just in campaigns. That ambition, and the moment VIA is in right now, made this an easy decision."

www.theviaagency.com

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