Leo Burnett UK has elevated Andrew Long and James Millers to executive creative directors, strengthening the agency’s creative leadership under chief creative officer, Mark Elwood.
The pair have been at Leo Burnett Uk since since 2017 and led creative for McDonald’s UK for the past four years, the former creative partners were integral to the agency’s triumph as Campaign’s Creative Agency of The Year last year. Their populist approach to creativity has strengthened the agency’s partnership of four decades with McDonald’s and inspired numerous award-winning campaigns including Raise Your Arches, Keep Up With The Times and Fries Claims. 2023’s Raise Your Arches campaign secured over 30 effectiveness and creative awards including Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show and Clios, as well as The Marketing Society Grand Prix and the APG Special Prize for Best Insight. The success of the work also contributed to McDonald’s being named Brand of The Year by Campaign magazine. They’ve also played a key role in new business, as part of the teams that helped win and bed in brands like Premier Inn and Morrisons.
As ECDs, Millers and Long will continue to lead creative output for the McDonald’s UK account, while also working closely with Elwood to manage the creative department and support in overseeing industry-leading work from across the agency.
Before joining Leo Burnett UK, Millers and Long spent three years at MullenLowe, creating award winning work for Knorr, British Heart Foundation and Persil. Prior to that, they spent seven years honing their craft at M&C Saatchi.
Mark Elwood commented,“Jim and Andy are a fantastically talented creative team and luckily great people too. They have been the driving force behind our most loved and awarded work with McDonald’s in recent years. I’m looking forward to working with them even more closely as they step up to support the running and direction of the creative department and take a front seat role in mentoring and inspiring our new talent.”
Carly Avener, CEO of Leo Burnett UK, added, “Andy and Jim’s work has taken our partnership with McDonald’s from strength to strength. I’m excited for them to bring all that passion, commitment and expertise to support Mark in leading the creative department.”
Andrew Long and James Millers commented, “We love everything about Leo’s, from the culture to the populist creativity the agency is known for. The last few years have been so rewarding, but the thing that gets us really excited is the feeling we’re just getting started. We can’t wait to get stuck into our new role working more broadly across the agency, and more closely with the next generation of talent at Leo Burnett.
Millers and Long’s promotions follow Mark Elwood’s elevation to chief creative officer in November.
Cover image l-r: Andrew Long & James Millers
