Ruben Igielko-Herrlich, a veteran film marketing executive, died March 7 in Beverly Hills. He was 62 and had been fighting glioblastoma brain cancer for four years.
He co-founded PropagandaGEM, a global entertainment marketing group, in 1991 with his friend and business partner Anders Granath. The company expanded to encompass 10 offices across Europe, Asia, South America, and the U.S.
Under his leadership, Propaganda created brand integrations such as “The Matrix” placing Nokia’s flip phone into the hands of Keanu Reeves and the iconic “Mission Impossible” chase scenes with Tom Cruise behind the wheel of a BMW.
Igielko-Herrlich connected Hollywood studios and celebrities with clients including Gucci, Bulgari, Piaget, Lamborghini and Rimowa. In the early days of product placement, he pioneered unique and creative integrations as well as orchestrating powerful advertising and promotional campaigns.
Born March 15 in Havana, Cuba, his family immigrated to Switzerland when Fidel Castro came to power. He obtained a bachelor’s degree at HEC Lausanne, faculty of business and economics, then moved to the U.S. to obtain his MBA at Emory University. He moved to New York, working with luxury brands including Tiffany and Bulgari, before returning to Geneva, where he became lifelong friends and business partners with Granath, after which they founded PropagandaGEM.
He is survived by his wife, Dr. Lara Fielding; his mother, Elizabeth Herrlich; his siblings, Rebecca Rezzonico, Hanna Shiloni, Evelyn Igielko, and Albert Beran; and his children, Cyrus and Charis Hauri.
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