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Instrument has appointed Jack De Caluwé as chief creative officer, marking his return to the agency after nearly nine years there earlier in his career.
He will oversee creative work across brand, product, digital experiences, campaigns and emerging technology, while working with the executive leadership team on creative direction, talent development and client relationships.
De Caluwé most recently served as executive creative director at R/GA. His career has included work for brands such as Nike, Apple, The New York Times, Patagonia, Netflix, Stripe, Dropbox and Uber across Australia, Europe and the United States.
Instrument is part of the Code and Theory Network under Stagwell. The agency describes itself as a design and technology business and has worked with clients including Google, Spotify and ServiceNow.
Return to Instrument
During his previous stint at Instrument, De Caluwé helped shape the agency's creative culture and led major client programmes, including projects for Electronic Arts, Google, Notion and ServiceNow.
For Electronic Arts, he helped develop a broader brand platform to keep the company's identity consistent as its products and audience evolved. At Google, he worked across products, campaigns and experiences. At Notion, he led the company's first international brand campaign.
His work has been recognised by the Webby Awards, CLIO Awards and The One Show. Instrument has also expanded its senior creative ranks with the recent additions of Terence Hobson as group executive creative director, Brand Studio, and Yan Sze Li as group executive creative director, Product Studio.
Creative brief
De Caluwé outlined his ambitions for the role in a statement on joining the agency.
"We're in one of those rare moments where the canvas is being stretched in every direction. Technology is opening up new ways to make things, culture is evolving in real time, and creativity has never had more room to surprise people. I wanted to be somewhere that sees that as an invitation rather than a disruption. Instrument is that place. I want us to be a studio where you can feel something is always happening. The kind of place people keep bookmarked for when they need a reminder of what's possible. A place willing to take big swings, make things with real character, attract restless talent, and chase ideas into unexpected places. That's the creative practice I want to build and the role I want Instrument to play in whatever comes next," said Jack De Caluwé, chief creative officer, Instrument.
The hire brings back a senior creative leader as chief executive officer Laurel Burton continues to position Instrument at the intersection of design and technology.
"Jack is a force multiplier for ingenuity and innovation, always pushing beyond familiar patterns to create space for unexpected ideas. That's the role we want to play for our partners: challenging conventional thinking to create iconic work. With Jack returning to Instrument, we're not only advancing our clients' work, but strengthening our creative identity, attracting top talent and increasing the creative force we bring to every partnership," said Burton.
Instrument has spent two decades working with organisations on brand, product and digital projects. Its recent work and leadership hires point to a continued focus on combining creative, product and technology disciplines under a single agency structure.
De Caluwé's return is also notable for the range of assignments he handled during his earlier time at the business, from global brand systems to digital campaigns. That background gives him direct knowledge of the agency's working methods and relationships with some of its long-standing clients.
His remit spans both internal and client-facing responsibilities. Alongside leading the agency's creative output, he is expected to mentor teams, help develop senior talent and deepen ties with executive-level client contacts.
The move comes as agencies across the design and digital sector continue to reshape leadership teams around changing client demands in branding, product design and technology-led experiences. In that context, Instrument is handing overall creative leadership to an executive with experience across brand, film, digital work and emerging technology.
Before rejoining the agency, De Caluwé built a body of work spanning consumer brands, media and technology companies. That mix mirrors Instrument's client base, which includes large technology groups as well as consumer-facing brands.
For Instrument, the appointment places a returning creative leader at the top of its creative organisation as it continues to expand a senior team across both brand and product disciplines.