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VCCP London, has today announced the expansion of its RX team with the hire of a new creative director. Signalling further investment into its retail and commerce capabilities, Darren Groucutt starts at VCCP London with immediate effect.

The hire follows the supercharged Retail Experience offering which was launched in December last year and which unveiled a new senior leadership team alongside the launch of its inaugural RX Performance Index. Darren Groucutt joins at a pivotal time as the RX Creative Director and he will lead the creative output of the specialist Retail Experience capability working with clients such as Canon, Cadbury and Wickes.

The team is dedicated to connecting the frequently disparate worlds of brand and buying, helping clients to win when it matters most. In his role he will work with talent from across the VCCP Group to apply his brilliance where most required and will be part of the RX leadership team with Rob Sellers, Steph Thomas and Stephen Renou.

Groucutt joins VCCP from The Marketing Store (TMS) where he was the Brand Experience Creative Director. While there he used an entire scale of mediums and technologies to create meaningful experiences within all types of spatial and digital work. Spanning interactive platforms and installations, he launched the fastest football boot on the planet and created eye-watering, immersive, impactful moments and experiences for adidas. He also comes with a collection of awards from Cannes Lions to Clios. Darren was central to TMS's new business growth and has been responsible for creating and delivering global brand awareness content for McDonald's Happy Meal and the digital transformation of Mcdonald's Drive-Thrus in the UK.

Prior, he was the Film and Animation Creative Director for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic games. Regarded as the first truly Digital Games, he worked across all stadium and broadcast visuals, creating the backdrop for some of London 2012's iconic moments.

Groucutt is famed for generating modern retail experiences which put the customer at the heart of multiple channels, and ideas that cover every area from rich physical experiences to seamless digital and commerce solutions. In the past he has also been responsible for creating groundbreaking online experiences for power tool giant DeWalt, was crucial to the redesign of mercedes-benz.com and led online campaigns, experiential retail, and pop up showrooms with unique test drive experiences for Mercedes-Benz.

Darren Groucutt, RX Creative Director at VCCP said: “It's an exciting time at VCCP, and I'm thrilled to join the Retail Experience team at the UK's best-integrated agency and to leverage its creative excellence and heritage alongside an impressive ever-growing roster of clients. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to disrupt within all categories to help brands adapt and flourish in this ever-changing consumer landscape.”

Rob Sellers, Head of Retail at VCCP London added: “We are incredibly excited to have Darren joining VCCP. The changing retail landscape needs new shapes of creative solutions, and we looked long and hard to find the right creative leader for our retooled Retail Experience capability. Darren’s experience and skills are unique, and we know he can help our clients challenge ‘old’ retail - smashing the gap between brand and buying. On top of that, he’s a really great human and we’re all looking forward to feeding off his humour and energy.”

The RX team works across every discipline within the VCCP Group, from analogue to digital, from brand to CX. Darren Groucutt will report into Rob Sellers, Head of Retail at VCCP and VCCP London Executive Creative Directors Jonny Parker and Chris Birch.