BBH director nets top Selfridges role

Bartle Bogle Hegarty international planning director Nick Cross has been appointed by Selfridges to head the marketing department as the store expands outside its London headquarters for the first time.

The shift from advertising agency to client was sparked by Cross’ work on the Selfridges account when the store rebranded earlier in the year.

BBH gained a place on the Sears agency roster after winning the 1.5m Selfridges account in May. Saatchi & Saatchi allegedly resigned the account because of a conflict after winning the 5m Bhs business.

Cross, who was formerly at the management consultancy SRU, is understood to have impressed Selfridges managing director Vittorio Radice while working on the Spirit of the City project.

He starts at the store in September, and will be in charge of advertising, public relations, direct mail catalogues and storecard operations.

However, Cross is unheard of in the fashion industry and there is speculation over his ability to switch from advertising planning to marketing Selfridges as it gears up for a 60m rebranding and expansion in the North.

Cross, who has been at BBH for the past three-and-a-half years, says he has worked with a lot of retail businesses and is not unduly awed by the switch.

He remains tight-lipped about any plans for Selfridges. “There are lots of new things in the pipeline, but it would be unfair of me to say what they are.”

The position of marketing director had been left vacant since Lesley Exley departed suddenly in February. It is understood her exit was sparked by uncertainty over the future of the Selfridges brand and its dilution within the Sears group.

Exley is now working as a merchandising and marketing consultant for the Tencel division of textiles firm Courtaulds.