Newly Formed McCann New Zealand Earned 20 Shortlists, 6 Lions in Cannes Debut

McCann New Zealand has marked its debut year at Cannes Lions with a strong first showing, earning 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronzes, and 20 shortlists across its newly merged creative offering.

Lion-winning work included:

Expensive Sh*t -- Huggies, in partnership with McCann New York

Gold and Bronze in Brand Experience and Activation, Silver in Social and Creator, Bronze in Media.

Dying Reviews -- Hospice New Zealand

​Bronze in Creative Data and shortlisted for a Glass Lion

Fantasy Herd-- Meadow Fresh, with The Sweetshop

Bronze in Creative Data

The results showcase the creative impact of the newly launched agency, demonstrating that the combination of FCB Aotearoa, DDB Group Aotearoa, and Clemenger Wellington has formed a formidable creative force in the New Zealand market.

Leisa Wall, CCO of McCann New Zealand, said, “The best introductions don’t come from what you say about yourself, they come from what the industry says about your work. As McCann New Zealand launches in Auckland and Wellington, it’s great to see both markets’ work recognised on a world stage. That’s a debut we’re bloody proud of!”

Gary Steele, CCO of McCann New Zealand, added, "This is more than a great Cannes result for us; it's a statement of our intent. It shows what's possible when outstanding talent comes together with a shared ambition to create work that earns attention, delivers impact for our clients, and competes with the very best in the world. At McCann, we believe in creating stories that live on, and this is just the beginning.”

Brigid Alkema, CCO of McCann Wellington, said, “This epic showing is testament to the diverse talent of our new team, with recognition across an enviable set of categories – including the rare honour of Glass. While the global acknowledgement of our work is worth celebrating, we’re full of energy for what the next year will bring.”

Now New Zealand’s largest integrated marketing services business, McCann Group NZ is accelerating its transition to a fully connected operating model — bringing creative, media, data, martech, commerce and earned capabilities together under one roof, backed by the global scale of Omnicom.