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.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More