Ian Doherty is to step down as managing partner at Bonfire, the agency he co-founded with creative director Seán Hynes twenty years ago. Hynes will take full ownership of Bonfire and continue to lead the agency and its creative output. The duo have worked together for 27 years having teamed up at Bates Ireland, better known as Hunter Advertising for many years. Doherty plans to launch a radio advertising consultancy called Heard.ie.
Bonfire clients include Dunnes Stores, Betfair, Cityjet, Johnson & Johnson, Eddie Rockets, FM104, Sliderobes, Savills, Tullamore Dew and BCP Asset Management. The agency’s most celebrated work in recent years has been its award-winning out of home campaigns for the Alone charity. Doherty is a past president of the Institute of Creative Advertising & Design (ICAD) and was on the board of the Art Directors Club of Europe.
He is the chair of The Advertising Benevolent Society (TABS).
