Warner Music UK today unveiled the leadership team for The Firepit, the company’s original creative content and production studio.
Award-winning creative team Chris Bovill and John Allison will be responsible for developing visual formats and programming around Warner Music’s world-class roster of artists, its unparalleled catalogue of music and its unique insight into popular culture. The duo previously led Channel 4’s award-winning 4Creative.
Brian Murnin also joins The Firepit as SVP, Business Development. Murnin, previously VP, Business Development, VICE Media, will devise and implement the commercial and distribution strategy around The Firepit’s content output.
All three executives report to Max Lousada, Chairman & CEO, Warner Music UK.
Lousada said, “In an always-on world, compelling narratives around music, artists and popular culture have never been more sought after and, having been at the forefront of entertainment for 70 years, Warner Music is uniquely placed to unlock them.
Chris and John are among the most celebrated creatives of their generation. Their fresh, bold and inventive perspective has helped redefine some of the world’s best-loved brands, while Brian has played an important role in the growth of VICE, one of today’s most pioneering media companies. Together, they make an incredibly dynamic team that will accelerate our growth into this exciting space.”
Bovill and Allison’s 20 year partnership has produced a host of acclaimed, innovative, genre-defying content in both broadcast and advertising. For the past five years, they have spearheaded 4Creative during which time their ground-breaking work has seen the channel win three highly-coveted D&AD Black Pencil awards, Campaign’s Campaign of the Year in 2016, Advertiser of the Year in 2015 and, according to Creative Review, helped to “to re-establish it as the most exciting, experimental and creative channel in the UK.”
Their rebrand of the iconic channel’s idents is now shown in the British Design Museum while their ‘Yes I Can’ Paralympics campaign forms part of the national curriculum in UK schools and has been adopted by the U.N. for its worldwide disability awareness initiative. They were also responsible for the BAFTA-winning ‘Humans’ campaign.
Prior to Channel 4 they worked at advertising agencies Fallon and TBWA London, making highly entertaining, viral and multiple-award winning work for brands from Cadbury to Skoda. They serve on the board of the British Arrow awards and have featured in Debrett’s 500 most influential Brits list. The duo will be joining Warner Music UK in late summer.
Murnin is in place in his new role at Warner Music. Previously, he worked as a senior commercial executive at Vice Media for almost five years, driving its growth as one of the world’s leading content and media businesses. He has contributed to the development of a suite of world-class youth media platforms in their UK division, creating commercial opportunities and creative solutions for industry-leading partners. Murnin has music industry experience as a founding member of the team behind Clash Magazine.
Warner Music UK launched The Firepit in 2016. Based at the company’s Wrights Lane headquarters in London, it encompasses a creative content division, innovation lab and state of the art recording studio supporting Warner Music’s artists, labels and partners.
Stefan Demetriou, VP, Content & Format, WMUK, currently heads up The Firepit’s content arm and is leaving the company to pursue a new role later this year. The existing production team will report to Bovill and Allison.
