Melbourne-based independent agency SICKDOGWOLFMAN has appointed James Wills as creative director.
Wills brings 20 years of experience as a senior creative leader. He led the Defence Force Recruitment account at VML, where he won a Gold Effie in 2025.
Beyond agency work, Wills is a member of RMIT University’s Advertising Industry Advisory Council, a lecturer at AdSchool, and served as co-vice president of the Melbourne Advertising and Design Club (MADC), helping reshape the organization following COVID.
“I spent some time working with James at VML and it was the first time I’ve ever walked into a building and felt simultaneously self-conscious about the size of my beard, heaviness of my Spotify playlist, and quality of my work,” said Jess Wheeler, Creative Director, SICKDOGWOLFMAN.
“It’s terrifying to now consider that as a state of permanence, but I’m nonetheless excited. We spent three hours arguing over which piece of hunting vernacular to use to announce James. It ended in a stalemate, so we just went with all of them.”
“I’ve always admired SICKDOG’s work,” said Wills.
“They live and breathe the complex art of simplicity. The work has personality and a point of view, and it’s helping their clients get noticed. I can’t wait to contribute to their momentum and add some doom-metal bangers to the agency algorithm.”
The appointment marks the second senior hire in recent months, following the addition of Laura Agricola-Moss as strategy director in October.
