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Los Angeles-based creative agency Mocean has added two new hires, expanding its strategic expertise. 

Ryan Bucci (left) has been named head of creative, brand and social at the agency, while Jared Sapolin (right) joins as vice president and creative director of theatrical. 

Bucci comes to Mocean from Publicis Groupe where he served as vice president and executive creative director and led a team of 40 creatives across major enterprise accounts such as Campbell’s and Jim Beam. He won a Sports Emmy for his “McEnroe vs. McEnroe” campaign for Michelob Ultra. 

In his new role at Mocean, Bucci will lead creative across such clients as PlayStation, North Italia, Cheesecake Factory, Waymo, Cicis Pizza, Amazon Prime Video, Universal, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and more.

"Ryan’s track record speaks for itself, from Emmy-winning campaigns to genre-defining brand work, we’re thrilled to welcome him to the team," said Erica Coates, president, Mocean, in a statement.  “With his leadership and vision, we’re excited to push creative limits, expand our brand, gaming and social capabilities and build breakthrough work that resonates far beyond the brief.” 

"Mocean has built a reputation for bold, culture-shaping work that truly moves people, and that’s exactly the kind of creative energy I’m drawn to. I’m excited to join a team that’s not only pushing the norm but doing it with purpose, craft, and heart. There’s so much opportunity to make meaningful, memorable work here, and I can’t wait to dive in," said Bucci, also in a statement.

Sapolin comes to Mocean after having worked for nearly a decade at Mark Woollen & Associates. Prior to that, he served as vice president of creative advertising at Sony Pictures. Sapolin was at Sony for 11 years, after he started out as an assistant and worked his way up. 

At Mark Woollen & Associates, Sapolin led creative on award-winning campaigns for such films as The Substance, Dune, La La Land, A Star is Born, Joker, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and Weapons, and on such series as Apple TV Plus’ Severance and Hulu’s  Pam & Tommy. Sapolin also creative directed “Democracy Dies in Darkness” – the Washington Post’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial that was narrated by Tom Hanks. 

While at Sony, Sapolin worked on such films as The Social Network, The Equalizer and Django Unchained, as well as on the Tim Burton exhibit at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.  He holds a BFA from NYU and currently resides in Los Angeles. 

"We’re excited to welcome Jared to the Mocean team," said Adam Rosenblatt, president, Mocean, also in a statement. “His sharp creative instincts, wealth of entertainment experience and impressive body of work make him an incredible asset to the Theatrical division.” 

"Mocean is a company I’ve long admired for its deep storytelling and artistic vision," said Sapolin. “I’m eager to hit the ground running, collaborate with this powerhouse team and continue to push the boundaries of theatrical marketing.”