Tony Granger, global chief creative officer of Young & Rubicam, has been selected to chair both the Cannes Lions Film and Press juries at next year’s International Advertising Festival.
Under Granger’s creative leadership, Young & Rubicam’s global network ranked third at Cannes 2010, leaping upward five slots in a single year; Y&R New York was the number one agency in the U.S. and second globally. Also in 2010, Y&R was named Network of the Year by the Art Directors Club, New York Festivals and the London International Awards.
Since arriving at Y&R in 2008, Granger has attracted top drawer creative talent, fully integrated digital into the agency, and built a global creativity community in both spirit and practice. This is reflected in notable work for clients like Virgin Atlantic, Land Rover, LG and Telefonica.
“Young & Rubicam’s rising up the agency ranks in the last couple of years is a testament to Tony’s incredible talent, his belief in the power of creativity and brilliant leadership,” said Terry Savage, chairman of the Cannes Ad Fest.
Granger said of his being named chair of the Film and Press juries, “This is a great honor. Cannes Lions is the most prestigious global awards show in our industry–it gives us the chance to highlight what is possible while inspiring us to leap forward. It’s the celebration of creativity in all forms of communication, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Before joining Y&R, Granger spent five years at Saatchi & Saatchi. There, too, he led the agency’s creative transformation. Saatchi became the top creative agency in the U.S., and International Agency of the Year at both the Cannes and the Clio Festivals. He led a similar renaissance at Bozell New York, where the shop catapulted to best in the U.S. and third best at Cannes in 2002. Granger began his career in his native South Africa, where he led TBWAHunt Lascaris.
The 58th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival is slated for June 19-25, 2011 in Cannes, France.
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