Matte Projects Hired New Creative Lead

The New York City agency has appointed Joaquin Salim to lead creative strategy for its global brand portfolio.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Advertising

Matte Projects has named Joaquin Salim as its new head of creative, tasking him with overseeing integrated campaigns and brand experiences. Salim arrives at the agency following a career in senior creative roles at several major advertising firms.

Why it matters

The appointment signals a leadership shift for an agency that works with high-profile clients like Airbnb and Amazon. Operators in the creative services sector should watch how this change influences the agency's output in the competitive brand experience market.

Joaquin Salim joins Matte Projects to manage creative direction for a client list that includes Airbnb, Amazon, Disney, Four Seasons Yachts, and Marc Jacobs. The agency maintains this roster while the scope of Salim's integrated campaigns remains under development.

The players

Joaquin Salim

The new head of creative at Matte Projects, previously a group creative director at Anomaly with past experience at Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, and BBDO NY.

Matte Projects

A New York-based creative agency focused on integrated campaigns and brand experiences for international clients including Amazon and Airbnb.

Neda Whitney

A member of the Matte Projects leadership team to whom the new head of creative reports.

Matthew Rowean

A member of the Matte Projects leadership team to whom the new head of creative reports.

The details

As head of creative, Salim will direct the agency's brand experience and cultural projects across its entire client roster. He joins the firm after serving as a group creative director at Anomaly and holding previous positions at Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, and BBDO NY. He will report directly to agency leadership Neda Whitney and Matthew Rowean.

October 6, 2026: Matte Projects appointed Joaquin Salim as head of creative.

Market Landscape

This move continues the industry trend of boutique agencies recruiting senior creative leadership from large-scale legacy firms to bolster their brand experience offerings. It follows a established pattern where mid-sized agencies attempt to integrate top-tier agency talent to maintain growth.

Operators in the agency space should monitor whether this leadership change leads to shifts in project delivery or pricing strategies for high-end cultural campaigns. Watch for any changes in the agency's creative approach to its existing high-profile client roster.

The takeaway

Agencies often look to talent from large-network firms to bring scale and proven processes to their creative pipelines. Owners should track how new leadership influences the agency's ability to retain major brand clients.