Mark Collis to depart Ogilvy Japan

Collis’ announcement comes after just over 18 months in the role. He relocated to Japan from Leo Burnett Sydney, where he was national creative director, in February last year.

He explained that he had made the decision for personal reasons, stating that he wished to be closer to his family in Australia. He said he had no fixed plan upon returning to Sydney, and that his options were “wide open”.

“I’m very excited at the prospect of doing my own thing,” Collis said, adding that “being focused solely on profit and income makes for a difficult environment in which to flourish”.

He added: “The industry is looking for an identity. There is so much going on in so many different areas that needs fixing. I think consumerism is a problem for the planet and there are ways of addressing this. It’s about brands becoming part of a solution, not just selling products.”

Collis is noted for having developed campaigns such as Earth Hour for WWF. He is also a co-founder of the Alphabet Foundation, a non-profit organisation that helps provide education to displaced, underprivileged children in Southeast Asia.

Ogilvy is currently interviewing candidates to replace Collis in Tokyo.