ECDC appoints Zoe Dando as brand and creative director

The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC), who are responsible for driving the redevelopment of the Earls Court area, has announced the appointment of Zoe Dando as their new brand & creative director.

Zoe Dando joins from Merlin Entertainment, where she has been the global head of marketing & creative since 2018. Merlin Entertainments is a world leader in branded entertainment destinations, with a portfolio of theme parks, city-centre attractions, and resorts.

Dando is joining ECDC following the milestone submission of their c. 44-acre master plan and will be a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, working closely with CEO Rob Heasman. The position will be central to the project’s next ‘launch’ chapter and translate the creative vision into reality, from conceptual to delivery.

The future of Earls Court is inspired by the area’s legacy and heritage, namely the Exhibition Centres that formerly occupied the site and the rich heritage they provided as a source of wonder and discovery. ECDC aims to restore the long empty site to once again be a prominent London neighbourhood, placing Earls Court firmly back on the map and drawing attention globally.

Zoe Dando, brand and creative director, says, “I’m thrilled to be joining The Earls Court Development Company at this exciting time. I’m inspired by the enormous potential of the site and the team’s aspirations to become a global destination. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity project, and I look forward to applying my experience so that people can once again discover wonder at Earls Court.”

Rob Heasman, CEO of The Earls Court Development Company, added: “Having now reached the significant milestone of submitting our hybrid applications, we embark on the exciting next phase of the development – restoring Earls Court as a world-class destination. Zoe brings a deep understanding of how a place becomes that special environment that people gravitate to; how to bring together partners from the world of art, design, and culture to embed creativity into the project. We look forward to welcoming her to the team.”

During her time at Merlin Entertainments, Dando developed and led the in-house global creative team delivering campaigns and content for Merlin’s 140 attractions and resorts, including nine Legoland Resorts, 52 Sea Life aquariums and major theme parks, including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Gardaland Resorts. Dando has been instrumental in all aspects of Merlin Entertainment’s creative management and marketing through 200+ global commercial partners, growing its vision of being the global leader in branded entertainment destinations.

Before joining Merlin Entertainments, Dando served as the head of creative at ESI Media for two years and spent ten years at Metro as senior marketing manager responsible for the brand and all marketing strategy and communications.

Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here.