Ari Weiss, a adorned advert trade veteran with a repute for breakthrough artistic concepts, has died after a prolonged battle with most cancers. He was 46.

Weiss—whose CV consists of storied companies resembling BBH, DDB, Wieden+Kennedy, and Goodby, Silverstein & Companions—was the founder and artistic chairman of unbiased company High quality Expertise.

Beforehand, he served at DDB for seven years, beginning as North American chief artistic officer (CCO) and changing into international CCO in 2019. Beneath his management, he helped DDB win Community of the 12 months at Cannes Lions in 2023.

Final 12 months, Weiss debuted High quality Expertise. The boutique store—together with companions Cristina Reina, Dan Gonda, and Colleen Leddy—had in a short while produced standout work for Shutterfly and Tonal. 

Weiss advised ADWEEK throughout an October interview that he and his fellow founders noticed “super alternative” within the present surroundings to hold their very own shingle because the trade behemoths moved towards consolidation and shoppers tightened their purse strings.

“When [brand] cash is flush, the large networks have the aggressive benefit due to their scale and assets,” Weiss mentioned. “However in lean instances, the independents and startups have the higher hand—there’s so much much less waste, and there’s a worth we are able to move on.”

Throughout his profession, Weiss created award-winning work for shoppers together with Starburst, Twix, Miller Lite, Coors Mild, McDonald’s, and Volkswagen. One in every of his lauded tasks was the Skittles different to Tremendous Bowl 2019, a one-night-only Broadway present starring Michael C. Corridor. ADWEEK known as the merger of theater and promoting “weirdly wonderful.”

His cofounders posted an obituary on High quality Expertise’s LinkedIn web page on Saturday that learn, partially: “His unwavering ardour, ambition and relentless pursuit of excellence will proceed to encourage, leaving a long-lasting impression on all of us and on the trade. Whereas we’re grieving his loss, we’re so grateful to have been in a position to go on the journey of realizing his dream of constructing High quality Expertise collectively over the previous 12 months.”

As others within the trade realized of his passing, they posted tributes to him and condolences to his spouse, Dara, and their three kids, Layla, Luca, and Lev.

Liz Taylor, international chief artistic officer at Ogilvy, mentioned of Weiss: “Fierce competitor, wildly humorous, grasp of craft. A profession stuffed with jealousy-inducing work. What a expertise. What a loss. The trade misplaced a artistic big. Many misplaced an unimaginable buddy.”

The One Membership for Creativity posted on Instagram on Saturday: “Past the numerous accolades he has received for his phenomenal work through the years, we are going to greatest bear in mind him as a selfless buddy of The Membership, at all times prepared to become involved, whether or not it was sitting on a jury, talking at an occasion, or simply sharing his ideas on how creativity could be a guiding drive for good on this world.”