McCann Melbourne executive creative director, Matt Lawson, is Australia’s number one copywriter, according to Cannes Lions global rankings. He is also ranked #7 in the world.
This is the second time Lawson has been ranked in Cannes’ top 10, and comes on the back of a run of award wins that include 34 Grand Prix across four campaigns in the past four years.
Lawson’s history of hitting the top in rankings began with his first television commercial, Rabbits, for Telstra Bigpond. It was voted Australia’s favourite ad in The Age newspaper, and ranked #2 in Campaign Brief’s Ads of the decade.
In 2013, his work for Pedigree picked up two Grand Prix, plus a Wood, Graphite, Yellow and Black pencil at D&AD. K9FM’s win is the first Black Pencil in New Zealand’s history and the only Black Pencil awarded for a radio campaign in 32 years. Pedigree’s K9FM, along with his Human Walking Program and Hidden Graphics campaigns, helped him win to Creative of the Year at the 2015 AWARD awards…
…and his job at McCann, who hired him in August 2015.
As a copywriter, he has now won 24 Cannes Lions including 12 Gold, a Grand Prix and Titanium, and has been awarded 17 times at D&AD across seven campaigns, with plenty of Yellows, the Black and a White Pencil on his mantelpiece. His most notable work includes Mobile Medic, Pedigree Found and K9FM, and DB Export Brewtroleum.
The Stable Awards: Work for Good of the Year, Colenso BBDO DB Export Brewtroleum
Adrian Mills, managing director of McCann said, “This is an incredible achievement for Matt and well deserved, but it’s even greater news for us as an agency. He’s in the perfect position to pass on his knowledge and inspire a talented and hungry creative team here at McCann.”
Lawson began his career as a copywriter at BWM in Sydney in 2005. He moved to BMF a year later and was senior copywriter at George Patterson Y&R from 2009 – 2013, before joining Colenso BBDO. He became creative director of McCann Melbourne in 2015 and executive creative director in June 2016.
He currently shares ownership on two patents – one for a new type of skateboard, the other for a phone case that uses conductive rubber to bring buttons back to mobile gaming. The phone case won both Gold and Silver at the Adweek Project Isaac Awards which applaud invention in advertising and media.
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