If being a world-class footballer wasn’t enough, Edgar Davids is now flexing his creative muscles with marketing and innovation company Anomaly, in New York.

Davids played football at the very pinnacle of the game winning honours in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and England representing the likes of Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona and Tottenham. He played for his country for over a decade representing the Netherlands 74 times including European and World Championships.

Anomaly Founding Partner Richard Mulder previously spent many years with Nike and has known Edgar throughout that period.

“Edgar has always been a very creative guy who is fascinated with the intersection of great marketing and street culture. He has worked with brands like Nike, Pepsi and EA, and more than any other athlete I have met, he would really contribute to the creative process and provide great insights and ideas to make products, commercials, events or whatever he was working on better. He was one of the first people who saw the power and marketability of street football and the unique urban culture around that, which almost turned into a category on its own in the years after. So he is not entirely new to this, he has earned his stripes. Now that he has (a little) more time on his hands he wants to get a better understanding of, and engage in the creative process from start to finish,” said Mulder.

He continued… “And we love to have his fresh and unfiltered opinion on things. Beyond helping us with clients where his insight around sport and culture are directly beneficial – such as Budweiser and Dicks Sporting Goods – he also has many ideas himself for us to collaborate on, both as Anomaly ventures and with our clients. We want to give him an opportunity to learn, knowing he will play with the same heart as he did as a world-class midfielder. We are all really excited. It will be fun.”

Founding Partner and Global ECD Mike Byrne added – “He embodies core attributes we value in people – raw talent, relentless dedication to improve, and driving ambition – we have never shied away from bringing divergent talent on board and look forward to the new areas we will explore together.”

Davids said: “I have known the Anomaly guys for a long time and always admired how they’ve challenged the status quo. They are competitors at heart. They are the best in the world in understanding true athletes, what that means, and the right role for companies to play in that world. It’s a tricky combination of authenticity, culture, entertainment, and celebrity – and they’ve proven how to do it right. I’m excited to join the team to learn, improve, and help create some game-changing work for progressive brands.”

About Anomaly
Founded in 2004, Anomaly is a difficult to define, but exciting to work at ‘new model’ agency with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Toronto, and Shanghai. The agency’s blue chip client roster includes Budweiser, Converse, Diageo, Duracell, Google, MINI, Panera, Pepsico, and P&G. Anomaly has been recognized for a very wide range of work including Gold Effies for effectiveness including Media Strategy and as a Brand Owner; Lions, Cyber Lions, and Grand Prix from Cannes; a Mercury Music Prize; and two Emmys for a TV series the agency created and co-owns.