McCann London has appointed Lynsey Atkin as chief creative officer for McCann London. She will report directly to McCann London CEO Polly McMorrow and McCannWorldgroup global chief creative officer, Javier Campopiano, and will join the company later in 2024.

Atkin has had a unique career journey – both on the client and agency-side, having spent time as a designer for Neville Brody, creative strategist at BBH, a creative director at Havas London and other creative founder and leadership roles at Ditto Press and Condé Nast. She has a strong presence and voice in the industry and is a regular judge for major awards shows, as well as contributor to industry commentary.

Polly McMorrow stated,“It’s rare that you get the chance to work with the exact person you wanted. Serendipitously, that’s exactly what’s happened. Lynsey is a powerhouse in our industry, renowned for her creative judgement, her stellar track record, and her incredible energy. She’s made an indelible mark on the creative industry with her work at C4, and I’m excited by the seismic impact she’ll have across our business, our leadership and our clients alike.”

Atkin commented, “Leading 4creative has been an absolute honour. I am so grateful not just to the exceptional team in 4creative, but to the wider Channel 4 community and the world class craft partners I have had the pleasure of collaborating with during my time here. But after 5 years, 2 Paralympic Games, 5 Bake Offs, 1 Christmas pancake, 2 channel rebrands and 25 uniquely looping idents, it’s time for me to do something altogether different. My next move was only ever going to be about the people, so I’m delighted to be partnering with the formidable and brilliant Polly to build something new at McCann London.”

“It is rare to find talent who are driven by a relentless pursuit of creative greatness, who have an amazing eye for craft, the gravitas of the best leaders and the human touch that can create a culture of excellence and joy. Lynsey not only checks all those boxes, but she has also proven herself in one of the most demanding jobs in this business, constantly creating work that elevated the Channel 4 brand year after year. We are thrilled that she is taking one of the most important roles in our entire organization, the CCO role at McCann London. It is a pivotal moment for us, and Lynsey will help us to keep pushing for radical creativity,” added Javier Campopiano.

Atkin joins at a high time for creativity at McCann London. Last week the agency won won two Grand Prix awards for The Everyday Tactician with Xbox in the Entertainment Lions for Gaming and Direct categories at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and one Titanium, in addition to a range of other Cannes Lions awards.  It has recently won two D&AD pencils, a Graphite for Plant Drop’s Smart Plants and Wood for Xbox’s Field Trips. The agency also won Grand Prix and The Everyday Brands Award at The Guardian’s Advertising Awards for Nurofen’s See My Pain platform.

Meanwhile Atkin led her team as executive creative director at 4Creative to win 7 Cannes Lions last week, with 3 Gold, including one for Film. 

Cover image l-r: Lynsey Atkin & Polly McMorrow