Anaka Kobzev’s Post

- Couldn’t you have waited until 2024?   Those were my opening words when I joined McCann Worldgroup as Worldwide Chief Creative Officer, right after the network had an impressive performance at Cannes Lions 2023. Daryl Lee laughed, Harjot Singh laughed, everyone laughed. I didn’t.  Well, luckily, my egotistical concerns have been addressed. Here we are one year later, enjoying another fantastic post-Cannes feeling. I will save you the full list, but just by saying that we were lucky enough to be on stage every night is enough to give you an idea of how strong of a showing we brought to the festival. 4 Grand Prix, and 1 Titanium are amongst the many accolades.   We also did it with more different offices than last year.   Our two biggest blockbusters, Xbox’ “The Everyday Tactician” and Mastercard’s “Room for Everyone,” are a perfect demonstration of what we are here for.  So is the powerful screening that took place in the Palais last Wednesday. In a packed auditorium, we unveiled what turned out to be a highlight for many of the lucky people who managed to watch it, “The final copy of Ilon Specht” documentary pays tribute to the radical genius behind L’Oréal’s iconic tagline, “Because I am worth it.” It is not the linear narrative of the birth of a slogan; it is a masterpiece in storytelling, and proof that there are certain pieces of work that define both an idea and the lives of the people who created it. There was not a dry eye in the Debussy Auditorium.   Xbox, Mastercard and L’Oréal encapsulate our mission. We’re here not for the one-offs or the stunts that last a couple of days. Sure, we can and we do those really well. But ultimately, we strive to build enduring brand platforms that allow our clients to play in culture, take action in critical moments and elevate themselves through radical creativity. We want them to win and keep winning—in business, with consumers—and as a byproduct of that—in award shows. That’s what “Truth Well Told” stands for.   In Cannes we also had the chance to rehearse for seven different cases to be presented in the Titanium, Glass and Innovation categories. Just being shortlisted is an achievement in itself; and there is a huge learning for both agencies, clients and everyone involved in this process. I wish everyone could have this experience.   Getting into the Cannes' week an important announcement was made, and I don’t want it to be buried under the weight of our Lions. Adrian Botan, our legendary Europe CCO, was promoted to Global Creative Partner. The outstanding results we've had throughout the last five years are among the many reasons why.    OK. We could have saved something for 2025, couldn’t we have?   Apparently not.   So, congrats to all our clients, brands, partners and to all the teams at McCann Worldgroup who made this great year possible. Onwards.

We are delighted to announce that “The Everyday Tactician” by McCann London in partnership with our brilliant client XBOX won our first Grand Prix of the week at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the Entertainment Lions for Gaming category! Congratulations to all our colleagues in London and around the world who made this campaign happen and a special thank you to our wonderful clients at XBOX who we are honored to share this award with.   Created for the launch of XBOX’s “Football Manager 24,” the campaign helped Bromley FC find their newest tactician from an untapped talent pool: gamers – resulting in the promotion of Bromley Football Club at the end of the season.   Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gyUAGAJB   #McCannWorldgroup #CannesLions2024 #TruthWellTold

We’re thrilled that “Room for Everyone”  by McCANN Poland for Mastercard has been shortlisted in the Titanium category at Cannes Lions 2024. Coming off last year’s “Where to Settle,” which leveraged data to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland find the best cities to plant new roots, the team has unleashed the power of data again with “Room for Everyone,” a campaign that shows how Ukrainian and local Polish businesses can help each other thrive. To learn more about the project, click here: https://lnkd.in/eefZdxPv #McCannWorldgroup #TruthWellTold

Beautiful start for McCann Worldgroup agencies, with a great showing from our offices in the most demanding categories of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Four (four!) strong contenders in Titanium from McCann Lima McCANN Poland McCann London FP7 McCann, a beautiful Glass one from our great Mccann Mumbai and two strong contenders in Innovation coming from Weber Shandwick and McCann Demand. Congrats to all the teams and clients, these are the categories that move the industry forward, being shortlisted here is already an amazing achievement. Adrian BotanCarmen BistrianAnn-Christine DiazHarjot SinghStephen Martincic

Effie Worldwide is the gold standard in recognizing the effectiveness of creativity! Celebrating tonight with this happy team from McCann Worldgroup for winning US Network of the Year!! Harjot Singh Amber Guild Shayne Millington Javier Campopiano

We're honored to have been named "Network of the Year" at the The International ANDY Awards during the shows commemorative 60th anniversary! McCann Worldgroup also took home: - Best in Show: Reset for "ADLaM" for Microsoft by McCann New York - Best in Show: Bravery for "We Didn't Write This Campaign" for NotCo by MRM Chile - 13 Distinctions for campaigns from McCANN Poland, McCann New York, MRM Chile, FP7 McCann and Weber Shandwick Additionally, we would like to congratulate Interpublic Group (IPG) who were named Holding Company of the Year! Hats off to our teams and clients around the world who contributed to these incredible wins. #McCannWorldgroup #MWTogether #TruthWellTold #ANDYAwards

McCann Worldgroup and [Ai]magination have struck a first-of-its-kind Gen AI partnership, providing McCann Worldgroup with early, preferred access to the studio’s content creation and asset capabilities and, in turn, providing [AI]magination with the opportunity to work with the network’s suite of top global brands and creative talent. Daryl Lee, Global CEO of McCann Worldgroup and McCann, said “McCann Worldgroup is committed to all the flavors of creativity in the world and to using these flavors to build enduring brands for our clients. This partnership with [Ai]magination demonstrates how profoundly generative AI is opening up new possibilities in creative craft and production. It accelerates our ability to produce beautiful content in real time that remains strategically on-brand because it’s guided and optimized by our philosophy of Truth Well Told. We look forward to a productive partnership with Frédéric and his talented team of creative AI production experts.” Learn more about the partnership via Ad Age and Asa Hiken: https://lnkd.in/enyG3EQT