McCann Melbourne has appointed BBH London creative director, Psembi Kinstan, to the newly created role of executive creative director. He will lead McCann Melbourne’s creative output and oversee key projects for its affiliated creative and technology network, HERO.

Kinstan returns to Melbourne after six years in London to take up the position. He left GPY&R Melbourne in 2014 to join Y&R London, becoming the youngest creative director in its history. In 2017 he moved to BBH, once again the youngest creative director in its history. At BBH he led the creative for BBH’s successful pitches for Audi, Barclays and Publicis networks’ global Western Union business win. His campaign for M&S Christmas Won Christmas in 2016 and achieved over 100 million unpaid views, and his Winter and Summer Olympics campaigns received 60 million views between them.

Kinstan arrives at McCann with more than 100 international awards in his arsenal, including five years of consecutive wins at Cannes for campaigns on M&S, Audi and Oxfam, as well as a BAFTA for his work with the BBC, and IPA Effectiveness Grands Prix.

He commented, “I’m thrilled to be joining McCann and Hero at such an exciting time with a bucketload of momentum behind them across the entire country. The ambition and energy that Ben, Pat and Coulson have is inspiring, and their desire to make properly populous and famous work is right up my alley. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and working with some great brands and really good humans. Plus the creative department at McCann is genuinely one of the nicest and most talented groups of people you could hope to hang out with, even on Zoom.

“After learning so much from some inspiring leaders like Hegarty, Karen Martin, Nick Gill, Ian Heartfield and Ewan Paterson among so many others, I’m thrilled to be able to lead the Melbourne office in this next exciting chapter.”

Kinstan is the second high-profile creative leader to be hired by McCann creative chairman and HERO network founder Ben Lilley, who also appointed Ben Coulson as CCO of McCann Sydney earlier this year.

Lilley stated, “Psembi is a unique talent in so many ways, right down to his name, which came from his three-year-old brother. It’s not surprising he has such a creative world view, and this has led to such a strong creative career. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can now bring to our Australian clients and business.”

McCann chief creative officer, Pat Baron, added, “Psembi’s done his best work for some of the world’s biggest brands. We couldn’t be more excited to have him joining our leadership team from BBH London at this exciting time. He represents a new generation of creative leadership in Australia, with a new energy and voice.”