Britt Nolan has been hired as chief creative officer at McCann Worldgroup, North America. He will report to Javier Campopiano, global chief creative officer of McCann Worldgroup and McCann.
Nolan will work directly with the network’s creative leadership in the U.S. and Canada to lead the development of ideas that solve clients’ business challenges, guided by the creativity of the network’s founding philosophy of “Truth Well Told.” Key to this effort will be fostering collaboration across capabilities and agencies, leveraging the network’s talent and expertise in strategy, design, commerce, branding and production to bring its best-in-class offerings to bear for each client.
“Britt is without a doubt a leader and a point of reference for excellence in our industry,” said Campopiano. “He has led some of North America’s very best work in recent years with incredible range–creating eye-catching, smart, authentic, and funny ways of connecting brands with people. He has a rare track record of success across both creative and business, with a unique understanding of how they power each other. And most importantly, we share a common belief that brand-building is right now more important than it ever was, and the only way to do it is through radical creativity based on human truths. He embodies the very essence of our Truth Well Told philosophy.”
Most recently president and chief creative officer of Leo Burnett Chicago, Nolan comes to McCann Worldgroup with a track record of creative achievement and business impact, both for his clients and the agencies at which he’s worked. Over the years, his work has won Grand Prix or Best in Show at every major international award show, including over 50 Cannes Lions, as well as recognition from the Effies, D&AD, ADC, The One Show, Clio Awards and London International Awards. In 2019, Nolan was inducted into the AAF’s Hall of Achievement. Key creative milestones include creating the iconic “Mayhem” character for Allstate; launching Samsung’s “Do What You Can’t” platform with the help of a flying ostrich; bringing much-needed “Chill,” for Coors Light; and helping Country Time Lemonade win hearts and change laws. He created a life-size—and Airbnb-rentable—replica of Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom” for the Art Institute of Chicago, which led to the museum’s highest ticket sales in 15 years. Nolan also led Leo Burnett in an extremely successful string of new business pitches.
Nolan remarked, “McCann Worldgroup’s creative vision–focused on craft, predicated on truth, reaching beyond the bounds of traditional advertising to build brands–speaks to both my right and left brain. I’ve long admired this network for its ability to create campaigns and platforms that build enduring brands. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this storied legacy and play a part in shaping its future.”
Nolan, as the creative anchor across key clients for the region, will also partner with Stephanie Nerlich, president, McCann Worldgroup Americas and global president of McCann, to spearhead inspirational creative and culturally relevant campaigns, while ensuring that cross-functional teams are working together to deliver an integrated creative product.
Nerlich added, “Britt will be a creative force for the region and a tremendous creative partner. He’s proven he can deliver transformative and strategically aligned creative solutions that drive client growth, leveraging his creative acumen to create culture-shifting work that exceeds client expectations and business goals.”
Nolan joins McCann Worldgroup at a time of creative and new business momentum. After competitive pitches, the network was awarded global creative responsibilities for PwC and has added to its Reckitt portfolio in the U.S.; Kinder and Tic Tac in Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa by Ferrero Group, and was recently named global Agency of Record for Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
In the past year, McCann Worldgroup reclaimed the title of Most Effective Agency Network from the Global Effie Index and was named Network of the Year by the ANDY Awards, Epica Awards and New York Festivals. McCann Worldgroup was a top performer at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, earning a Titanium Lion and four Grand Prix. The network has also recently garnered top honors at The One Show (a Penta Pencil for its work with Mastercard), the Clio Awards (5 Grand Clios), a coveted Black Pencil from D&AD, among others.
Nolan is the latest in a series of new creative hires and internal promotions from Campopiano, who joined McCann Worldgroup a year ago, including Jordan Doucette, newly appointed chief creative officer of McCann Worldgroup Canada; Lynsey Atkin, chief creative officer of McCann London; and Shannon Washington as global chief creative officer of gotham. Existing talent taking on new roles include Adrian Botan to global creative partner, creative excellence; Ioana Filip to global executive creative director for the Reckitt business; and Shayne Millington, chief creative officer, McCann NY.
