Saatchi & Saatchi: A Game-Changing Year of Creative Wins and Leadership Reboot

This year saw Saatchi & Saatchi embrace major shifts and bring in some exciting wins, setting the stage for a new era in the year ahead.

One of the biggest changes came with the appointment of Claire Hollands as CEO, following the departure of James Denton-Clark. Alongside the leadership change, Saatchi & Saatchi’s core team—led by CCO Franki Goodwin, CSO Richard Huntington, COO Sarah Jenkins, and MD Jonathan Tapper—kept the agency on track while building its creative momentum.

The year also saw standout campaigns, including a festive extravaganza that captured the spirit of the season for John Lewis, alongside Waitrose’s suspense-filled Christmas special and OVO Energy’s cutting-edge AI-powered initiative.

Now, under Hollands’ leadership, Saatchi & Saatchi is poised to build on its strong foundation and continue pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation in the year ahead.

Creative Salon on Saatchi & Saatchi's 2024

Getting off to a brilliant start, the agency secured the global creative account for Accor's Ibis hotel group, following a competitive pitch involving several undisclosed agencies. Saatchi & Saatchi took on the strategy and creative for Ibis, Ibis Budget and Ibis Styles, leading a cross-regional repositioning across key markets such as the UK, France, Germany, Brazil and India. This appointment strengthened Publicis Groupe’s relationship with Accor, marking the first time the group handled the hotels economy business.

This year also saw significant leadership changes at Saatchi & Saatchi. James Denton-Clark stepped down as CEO in June after less than a year in the role. During the transition, his key team—Goodwin, Huntington, Ringshall, Jenkins, and Tapper—reported to Charlie Rudd, group CEO of Leo Burnett UK, Publicis London, and Fallon.

The company has now appointed Claire Hollands, former chief executive of MullenLowe UK, as its new CEO. It was clear that for Saatchi & Saatchi's next CEO, the agency was looking for a modern, progressive leader with a proven track record of running successful agencies.

Charlie Rudd, CEO of Publicis Groupe UK, highlighted that Hollands was recognised for her exceptional reputation as a champion of creativity and for having the leadership skills necessary to guide the agency into its next chapter.

Kate Stanners, chairwoman and global chief creative officer, joined the board of The History of Advertising Trust, contributing her creative expertise as the charity sought to re-engage with agencies. Sarah Jenkins was promoted to chief operating officer, overseeing operations to drive creative flow, productisation, and efficiency. Replacing Jenkins as managing director is Jonathan Tapper, who was promoted to the leadership team from his previous role as managing partner.

Sam Wise was promoted to executive strategy director, tasked with leading international growth efforts, while Emily Lewis-Keane stepped into the role of head of planning, replacing Wise. James Addlestone joined as head of data arts, focused on building new tools to deliver transformative insights for Saatchi & Saatchi’s clients. Ruth Bates was promoted to chief data officer, a new role within the agency, where she will lead the integration of data insights into creative work. Another notable hire was Max Henderson, who joined as creative design director, after leaving his previous role at McCann London.

Saatchi & Saatchi launched several campaigns throughout the year. For John Lewis, the agency introduced 'Succumb to the Sale' and 'The Home Dialogues', but also launched a campaign that marked the return of the department store's ‘Never Knowingly Undersold’ promise, which had been dropped over two years prior. The 90-second film showcased the brand's history through a single window, spanning iconic eras from the Roaring 20s, the outbreak of war, and the swinging 60s to the present day.

For it's festive ad extravaganza, Saatchi & Saatchi brought viewers on an epic journey to find the perfect gift.

The story looked to connect with viewers in finding that perfect gift but also, in a first from the retailer, the nation were invited to cover the track for Christmas day.

It was the third chapter of John Lewis’s Golden Quarter campaign, having announced the return of 'Never Knowingly Undersold' in September and launching its Christmas Gifting Showcase in November.

Waitrose’s two-part Christmas special, 'Sweet Suspicion' captivated the nation, leaving viewers on edge for three weeks to discover who stole the festive pudding. Saatchi & Saatchi crafted a gripping mystery, challenging audiences to play detective: was it Steve, Samira, or Fig the cat who devoured the red velvet bauble cake? The ad was inspired by customer feedback, highlighting the desire for something different from typical Christmas ads.

For OVO Energy, Saatchi & Saatchi unveiled 'The Energy Forecast', an innovative campaign powered by generative AI and real-time National Grid data, designed to educate commuters at Euston Station about sustainable energy use.

The agency also channelled modern dating trends to redefine voting for younger demographics with the campaign 'Voting is Hot AF'. Powered by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince and insights from PR agency Borkowski, the 'Just Vote' initiative aimed to encourage young people to vote in the July 4 general election, leveraging the finding that 40 per cent of 18-24-year-olds find regular voters more attractive.

The team also delivered powerful messaging with EE’s 'Unfinished', which launched for International Women's Day. It earned the agency a Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions Festival, recognised in the Print & Publishing category.

The campaign, featuring Lioness striker Ellen White, launched on International Women’s Day and highlighted the challenges faced by young girls in sport due to online abuse.

Another standout campaign, 'Til I Died', was created for the British Heart Foundation to honour young football fans whose lives were cut short by heart disease, with murals and projections in Berlin during the UEFA Euros 2024. EE’s 'Hate. Not In My Shirt' campaign, aimed at combating hate in football, called on fans to stand together and challenge offensive behaviour during the summer tournament.

As always, the agency was highly productive for EE, including creating a campaign to activate the brand's partner status for the men's Home Nations football teams ahead of their participation in the Euro Championships.

The “Hate. Not In My Shirt” saw players back the anti-hate message being conveyed while celebrating the moments in the sport that make players and fans proud to wear their country's football top.

Another campaign for the tech communications provider explained how EE could help retain connections between parents and teens through its broadband and mobile services.

The 'Curfew' campaign outlined how EE One customers would also have access to unlimited Sim data for when children outside of the home don't have broadband access but may need to contact a parent.

Meanwhile, working alongside sister Publicis Groupe agency Digitas, the Saatchi & Saatchi team developed 'Clocking Off' to promote the transformative power of EE's Wi-Fi 7 enabled Smart Hub Pro and Smart WiFi Pro.

The integrated campaign was led by a 120-second film highlighting the mundane, robotic nature of work until it's time for everyone to go home and enjoy the various connected activities they do in their leisure time.

Other campaigns included work with Fridge Raiders on 'Get The Day Done', 'GOOD Right Now' for Waitrose and Richmond’s 'Good Times'.

Account losses in 2024 included TNT Sports, which appointed Brothers & Sisters as its creative agency without a pitch, concluding Saatchi & Saatchi's involvement with the brand after successfully launching its debut campaign. Additionally, Direct Line Group reviewed its creative accounts, with the agency not involved in the pitch.

It also continued to champion emerging talent through its 2024 New Creators’ Showcase, featuring 12 standout pieces of short film, animation, and music video content from creators across the UK, Holland, Spain, Belgium, and Australia. The showcase has been running since 1991 and provides a platform for up-and-coming creators at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Creative Salon Says: It has been a year of transformation at Saatchi & Saatchi, yet the agency’s commitment to creative excellence and innovative thinking remains unwavering. With a talented team in place and key leadership transitions underway, it is poised to tackle new challenges head-on.