Discovery boss lands C4 creative job overseeing brand promotions

Channel 4 has hired Discovery Channel promotional boss Jon Stevens as creative director as it prepares for a major expansion of its creative services department.

Stevens, who has worked as creative director of Discovery Networks Europe since 1996, joins Channel 4 in August, replacing Dave Buonaguidi, the former St Luke’s creative director who has now set up his own studio called Karmarama.

Stevens will be responsible for Channel 4’s on-air programme and brand promotions, which are worth &£90m a year in equivalent advertising air-time. He will also help with off-air promotions.

He will also take a role in expanding the creative services department from 18 people to about 30. They will provide resources across Channel 4’s subsidiaries and take on more work as the channel expands through Film Four and its website and interactive channel E4.

Stevens says: “I’ll be responsible for… ensuring a consistent brand message that says what the channel stands for. It’s a challenge because so many viewers respond on a product-by-product basis. People who watch Queer as Folk are different from those who watch documentaries.

“We need brand messages for people who don’t watch all night. If all messages are about the product, you miss a trick.”

Stevens will report to Channel 4 controller of marketing Polly Cochrane.