McCann Sydney lures ex Clemenger BBDO Sydney CCO Ben Coulson for chief creative officer role
Campaign Brief can reveal that McCann Sydney has snared Ben Coulson, the multi-awarded former CCO of Clemenger BBDO Sydney, who departed in March, as its new chief creative officer.
Coulson will lead the creative output across McCann Sydney’s clients, including Coca-Cola, MasterCard, Microsoft, Menulog, Nestlé, Sanofi and the government, and work with national chief creative officer Pat Baron on key national creative clients and campaigns.
Both Baron and Coulson have ranked in the top five ECDs in the world at Cannes and the Top 10 CCOs in the world on The Won Report. Coulson was most recently CCO at Clemenger BBDO Sydney, which enjoyed its most successful period in history for both creativity and effectiveness in his time there. Before that, Coulson spent six years as regional CCO for Y&R Australia and New Zealand, seeing the agency named the most awarded ANZ network at Cannes and Spikes for three years running.
Says Coulson: “McCann is a damn interesting proposition at the moment. I was hit with a pang of jealousy when I heard about Ben Lilley’s acquisition and plans for McCann Australia a few months ago. He has a unique thing going on, building a fully independent agency backed by the hottest network in the world right now.
“Ben’s passion for the McCann brand, his ‘creative first’ approach to business, and the talented group of people he’s assembling is genuinely exciting, at a time when there isn’t much new news on the Australian agency landscape.
“McCann has a strong client base and brands that deserve standout work. Plus they’re a very decent bunch of folk to go to work with every day. I’m very grateful to Ben, Pat and the gang at McCann for the opportunity to be part of something with such positive momentum.”
Says Baron: “Ben Coulson’s a great human who I’ve admired and respected for years and whose career and campaigns speak for themselves. He has an extraordinary track record of creative excellence that’s been celebrated both globally and at home in Australia.
“An originator, deep thinker and innovator, it’s not surprising Ben is also one of Australia’s most popular creative leaders. His move to McCann Australia is good news for not just our clients but for our people too. We’ve still got a lot of work to do here, but I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Says Ben Lilley, McCann creative chairman: “Pat and Ben and I have all grown up together in adland and over the years we’ve often talked about one day working together; I couldn’t be happier that day has finally come. Together Pat and Ben make a pretty exciting creative leadership team, with a formidable creative and effectiveness legacy between them. Anyone who knows them also knows they’re just really nice guys too.”
Over the past decade, McCann Australia has been recognised as both the most awarded agency at the Cannes Lions and the most awarded creative agency in the world, as well as Australia’s top-ranked agency in both the Effies Index and WARC Effective 100. Globally, McCann is the World’s Most Creatively Effective Network in the Effie Worldwide Index for the third consecutive year and is also the Cannes Lions and Webbys Global Network of the Year.
Lilley said McCann Sydney is still hiring, including account management and senior strategy roles, with further key announcements to be made over the coming weeks.
47 Comments
Benno, you sly fox. Now I know what you were hinting at back in Feb. This feels like a great move for you- A good renovation project with a good network and people. Right up your street.
Ben & Ben Together. That’s a formidable duo.
Congrats Ben, You have been a great creative mentor to so many, this is great news for the McCann crew, I’m sure you will light it up as you always do.
Congrats to both Ben and Baron. Both bloody legends and quite a national team mccann has got going on there.
Big few days for you. Congrats on the AWARD haul and new gig
That makes more sense of his departure from Clems. This must have been lined up before he left, and it will be an interesting move. Ben Lilley is the real deal, he is a new business machine and Coulson is the creative magic. McCann is on fire globally, Looks like they are assembling the talent to do the same locally. Never easy, but I’d dust the resume off for that.
Aiiiiooooo! Nice one Ben.
I’d say it’s mission impossible, and you have made the wrong call. But I that’s what I thought when you took on CLEMENGER Sydney, so this time I’ll just say good luck, And I look forward to seeing you on stage for agency of the year soon.
Congrats on the new role Ben. See you around the traps for some cold ones soon.
McCanns Sydney have been attempting a creative renaissance since the universe was formed. I was involved in one of the many, so I’ll offer some observations.
McCanns is ruled by clients, many of them multinational. Generation after generation of Management may pay lip service to ‘creativity’, but the work really is a necessary nuisance that makes client/agency relationships difficult and gets in the way of profit.
When I was there, every day was a titanic battle between ‘us’ and ‘them’, and whilst I wish Ben the best of luck, I fear it will be a slog – with the suits eventually winning, as they always have.
So was Clemenger Sydney. Ben’s a different breed.
Justin and he together?
Babe town.
Excellent free agent pick up.
Such great news. Ben knows exactly how to keep big clients happy and spot the opportunities along the way. If anyone can stop the revolving door of new creative leaders at McCann, my money is on Ben.
Kind of what Coulson does- goes to places that can’t or shouldn’t work and makes them work. Yep, this will be a challenge and it is ruled by clients, but his rap sheet puts him in with a good chance. Plus he and Ben Lilley together is a genuine thing. Whatever happens, It won’t be dull.
Patts wasn’t working before Ben got there?
Clem’s wasn’t working until Ben got there?
Ben is good and deserves credit for the good work he’s helped produce but let’s not get carried away.
I don’t know how we snuck it past the gatekeeper but I was lucky enough to win awards at McCann Sydney. I think he’ll need carte blanche to make it work. There are good suits and planners but they will need to listen to him and row in his direction. The only way to make it work is, ultimately, he decides who stays and who goes from every department. Really hope it goes well.
How many Melbourne CCOs / ECDs are in Sydney now?
Strong! Great things to come for MacCann.
I wonder what “The First 100 Days” plan looks like?
the censorship on which comments are making it through and which are not are really very telling.
Reading this ‘industry insider tuff fluff’ is such an insight into how the self-congratulatory nature of shallow ‘creativity’ runs, or should I say ruins the egos that are being propped up in the process. Handjobs all around and bitter tears for others. Remember the narrow creative context that ads get made in.
Good buys… chemistry strong! Play Coulson up front, with Lilley… Human tackle bag in the centre! Then Barons mercurial magic for the show reel…
Suits this. Suits that. Ruled by clients blah blah blah.
This is the absolute BS that has most agencies in trouble. Creatives need to wake up and realise they are absolutely not the be all and end all anymore (if they ever were).
Don’t forget who pays the bills.
Exactly who pays the bills? Because last time I checked no suit was doing the actual work that clients pays for. Yes, they might have the verbal relationship with the client and (sometimes) fight to keep creativity intact. But they do not DO the actual work. That is up to the creative department, the heart of the agency. Without one, you don’t have yourself an agency.
Creatives are filmmakers.
They help promote businesses.
They don’t fundamentally shape them.
So no, creatives are not that important in the modern business landscape.
@So glad, your comments have absolutely reinforced everything I’ve said.
Clients pay the bills. And the reality is that clients couldn’t give two shites about your ideas and the awards you’ve won, or are trying to win (outside of perhaps an effie).
Clients want cost effective work that achieves business results. They don’t see through the gimmicks anymore. And they certainly don’t want to deal with bullshit from creatives who don’t understand this.
Oh come on. McCann?! It’s track record on retention is so bad. Good luck, not for this job, but the next one in about 18 months.
@ So Glad
So your inference is that it’s the Clients who do the work?
Creative Award shows of late have a lot to answer for in creating the attitudes you see from commentors like @So Glad I don’t…
In the last few years much of the work awarded tends towards on-trend virtue signalling and obscure integrated work that barely anyone one ever saw. In short, it’s disappeared up its own wazoo. It’s what leads clients and others to conclude that there is ‘creative award-winning’ work and then there is ‘cost effective work that achieves business results’ and they are two different things.
It’s understandable when you go and look at Cannes or whatever show because many Award judges, in my experience, particularly in ‘newer’ markets where scam is more prevalent (a whole other story) don’t put a commercial lens on that they’re judging, only a creative one. Other judges- and they tend to be the more experienced ones – are more likely to ask themselves fundamental questions like, would this work? Would anyone do this? Did anyone actually see this? And they might even argue the point with the other judges.
So perhaps Creatives only have themselves to blame. It’s not too late to fix it either! Just get real!
So ‘Creative’ ads, they’re not the same as ‘hard working’ ads?
There are some famous examples of creative ads (the kind the public remembered, rather than purely ‘award winning’ ads) that didn’t really do much selling. But by and large that is not the case. Those really famous ads we all know and remember, those ads that our parents and friends would sight, they, by and large, worked their asses off. Ads for airlines. Tourism ads. Ads for car insurance. Car ads. Ads for beer…. highly ‘creative’ (yes creative) ads and brand platforms that clients keep running – because they work.
And by the way, the creative departments created those – sure with fundamental help from the rest of the agency – but impossible without the creative department. Those individuals make the agency’s product. They wrote the famous lines, the famous dialogue, the unforgettable idea. Everyone else sold it (or set the scene for it).
They still happen today too. It’s just more difficult sometimes to win awards for them because sometimes they aren’t on-trend. And being on-trend has possibly become more important than being creatively sound.
Sure there are brands that get away with only doing purely ‘cost effective work that achieves business results’ – JB HiFi for example. Sometimes that’s appropriate.
But if you’re a blue chip brand, a fashion brand, a lifestyle brand, a high end product, for the most part, that’s just not going to cut it. Then you need a creative department.
Yes.
Firstly a very apt discussion under this particular PR. But for what it’s worth, I believe if you work in an agency that thinks creative ideas only come out of one dept then your agency will be dead very soon. Every single person in an agency today needs to be creative. End of story.
The Pier has lost one of the finest wearers of linen the world has seen.
@No Dept
Of course the ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes the whole idea can come from, say, an account service person or a planner – more often fragments come from other departments, it’s a team effort. And everyone has to get the idea through as I’ve already said.
But the creative department is the creative department because it is their responsibility to come up with the ideas. It’s very different to throw in an idea here or there or steer people a bit than it is to have everyone looking at you for the ‘magic’. And it’s very different when you can come up with ideas consistently to deadlines. And if you haven’t seen that happen, where everyone is basically waiting for the creative dept to come up with some magic then you haven’t worked in a good agency with a strong creative department. I’ve worked in many of the best agencies in Australia and 90% of the time its the creative department that does the heavy lifting when it comes to the ‘idea’. (As I would suggest it should be). You have to also understand that the above comment was written in the context of another comment which suggested creatives are nothing. In another context I would happily express the ‘team’ nature of the job.
Absolutely spot on mate. And honestly, I don’t think there’s a creative on earth worth their salt who dismisses thoughts from other departments. But when it comes down to it, it’s our heads on the block when it comes to delivering a great solution on time.
Seriously, I think it’s silly even to be having this discussion. Great agencies always have and always will work together across departments to produce the goods, but each be strongest in our own area. Things very quickly go to shit when creative believes they’re better at strategy, and account management believe they’re better at creaive.
Always lands on his feet. Always gets the cream. Does it with style.
All the best to you in your new role Ben. On top of all the obvious talent, you’re a really good dude too.
Congratulations Ben C.
Good call Ben L.
Perhaps I took things a little too far in my comments, but what I’m ultimately getting at was stemmed from some of the above comments that basically just insinuate that clients are suits are a pain in the ass on the way to making work that creatives want to make.
I’ve worked with some unreal creatives over time that really understand the contribution that everyone makes, and understand why at certain times clients and suits can be difficult and that it’s often for good reason.
I’m not discounting the pressure that creatives face to make the work. I certainly don’t think I could do that.
I just think creatives need to start valuing the contribution that others make, and understand that without clients, the work doesn’t exist. Full stop.
Most creatives still working in the industry values what other departments make. And, while it might suit your head, no two creatives are the same. They are all very different.
What creatives don’t appreciate is when other people don’t do their own job (ie write a good brief instead of forwarding a half-arsed email, get the key things a client wants to achieve instead of delivering a list of mandatories to jam into 15 seconds, forge a great working relationship with clients and creative instead of being yes-people) and try to do the creatives job.
It’s bad, reflects poorly on management and their ability to train people and counterproductive.
If you feel your contributions aren’t valued where you work, maybe have a look at how you’re contributing. If you’re trying to do someone’s job instead of doing yours, you won’t be valued. Same if a creative started emailing the client direct and asking them to go for a coffee.
Capiche?
I’m def picking up what you’re putting down. Like.
I think part of the problem with this whole discussion is that it’s descended into stereotypes of ‘creatives’ and ‘suits’. In all businesses there are people who bring talent and drive and creativity and all of the elements that go into creating greatness. And there are people who just aren’t that great, or get in the way, or create obstacles and confusion and hostility.
It’s true that the creative department is responsible for delivering magic, day after day – and often more than once a day. When people dismiss the creative department, or say that ideas can come from anywhere, what they often forget is that it’s extremely hard to get into a department in the first place, and hard to stay there, and hard to find the magic when you’re working long hours and weekends under pressure and dealing with feedback round 8 that doesn’t make much sense. Worth appreciating those who do it. It’s a job that never leaves you alone.
But equally worth appreciating are the people who have the conversation that sets up the need for that idea in the first place, or help shape the brief that asks for that idea, or work their arse off to protect you from what could have been feedback hell, or come in on a Sunday to see if you need any help, or drop in the perspective that helps spark the idea or helps move that idea forward.
Go to linkedin and see some of Australia’s best CMOs posting their D&AD and AWARD wins.
Then get back to actual work you are supposed to do.
This IS the work we’re supposed to do.
The more creative – and yes, the more award winning – the more effective. It’s been unequivocally and empirically proven. It seems the only creatives who hide behind smug ‘awards are a wank’ arguments are those who don’t know how to win them and. And as a consequence, don’t know how to create ground-breaking, original and above all, effective work.
Peter Field’s “The Link Between Creativity and Effectiveness” should be mandatory reading before anyone is allowed to post on this blog. Or you could at least start with this summary:
https://ogilvy-sociallab-brussels.prezly.com/the-principles-of-effectiveness
Nicely put. The value of our little creative award shows will always be high for us as they incentivise and inspire us top push higher, but ultimately creative awards have never been more irrelevant for our clients than now.
There’s actually at least 5 client leaders posting about awards in my LinkedIn feed in the last few days… maybe you should start following the right ones.
A whole 5? You are joking there are 5000 in Australia at least.
Look at the clients who do post about awards – they tend to be the smartest and best. Because they understand that great work builds business, and they get that motivated agencies create great work.