FCB Is Adweek's Global Agency of the Year

When Susan Credle arrived at FCB Global five years ago to become its creative chief, she implemented a philosophy that acknowledges—and even embraces—the volatility of a marketing world constantly searching for what's next. "Never finished" became an agency mantra prioritizing constant evolution for FCB and clients alike. "We bet that the work would get to a place that would make us stronger," she says. "It's not just award-winning work; it's the kind of work clients value." That mindset would prove especially valuable in 2020, a year in which all the norms of work and home life were upended. While nearly all agencies suffered financial losses this year, FCB grew 10% globally, according to the agency, while entering into new or expanding relationships with clients including BMW, Kimberly-Clark and Walmart. Thanks to its growth amid industrywide disruption, strategic focus on collaboration across borders, ongoing commitments to inclusivity and its thriving healthcare marketing practice, FCB is Adweek's 2020 Global Agency of the Year, marking the network's first award in the category. FCB was last named U.S. Agency of the Year (as Foote, Cone and Belding) in 1989. It also highlights how the New York-based, IPG-owned agency network put its philosophy of adaptation into practice during a year when no one could afford to sit still. “We functioned better in the virtual world than previously,” FCB global CSO Nigel Jones tells Adweek. “We created an agency that could thrive in this kind of world where collaboration is very important and egos destroy things.” Connected collaboration Before global CEO Carter Murray arrived in 2013, FCB operated within the regional and organizational silos typical of agencies at the time. Murray removed such barriers, including a restructuring in September 2019 that consolidated leadership in North America under North America CEO Tyler Turnbull, and the recent global expansion of creative data agency FCB/SIX. Reestablishing creativity at FCB’s core, with leadership from both Credle and worldwide creative partner Fred Levron, and foregoing regional hubs in favor of select international markets allowed FCB to build a structure that facilitated connection and collaboration across offices. FCB’s diverse client portfolio and connected approach meant that while individual offices felt the impact of the pandemic, particularly because of how it affected travel and hospitality brands on its roster, the network was buoyed by clients such as Adweek Brand of the Year Clorox. Clorox chief marketing and strategy officer Stacey Grier calls the brand's partnership with FCB "special and increasingly rare." “They push us and importantly, they invite us to push them as well. Not every agency is brave enough to do that,” she adds. “We value FCB’s talent, integrity and never-ending pursuit of being a better partner.” The focus on collaboration extends beyond FCB to relationships with clients’ other roster agencies and in-house teams, Credle explains, citing FCB’s work with Walmart’s agencies to develop a singular brand voice as an example. “If you’re a roster agency and you want to grow, it’s going to be by being a good team player,” she says. A healthy network In 2020, FCB Health added over 25 major new brand assignments while expanding existing relationships including Lilly, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi. With the addition of Bristol Myers Squibb, the network says it now works with 19 of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies. “There’s no way we could have achieved what we have without the runaway success of FCB Health,” Murray says. “It’s allowed us to reinvent the advertising business.” That enviable position was fueled by FCB Health's breadth of collaborative talent, aided by a decision made nearly a decade ago to swim against the current. “Eight to nine years ago, we doubled down,” FCB Health CEO Dana Maiman says, embedding digital services across agencies when most networks were creating separate digital agencies. “We keep our heads down regardless of what’s going on around us. [Other networks] end up emulating us but by then, we’re on to the next thing anyway.” The Stats Key Wins:FCB Brazil: Sky Brazil; FCB Chicago: Barilla, Walmart; FCB India: Google; FCB New York: Axe, Centrum, Mike’s Hard Lemonade; FCB/SIX: BMW North America CRM, Uber; FCB Toronto: GE, Sephora Losses:FCB West: Ameriprise (went in-house) 2020 Revenue:IPG policy prevents revenue disclosures, but according to FCB, it saw organic revenue growth of 10% worldwide and 16.3% in North America. R3 estimates 2019 revenue at $850 million. Strategic Moves:Hired FCB New York co-CCO Michael Aimette, global CFO Carmine Battista, FCB New York chief talent officer Yoonjung Crosby, evp, global growth Mish Fletcher, FCB Health New York ecd Laura Mizrahi, FCB Joburg/Hellocomputer CCO Tseliso Rangaka, FCB/SIX managing director Janet Thompson; promoted FCB West co-president CCO Karin Onsager-Birch, FCB Chicago chief technology officer Fernando Espejel, FCB Canada CCO Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, FCB New York co-CCO Gabriel Schmitt, FCB West co-president, CSO Simon White. Diversity:FCB North America: 62% female, including 40% of senior management; 32% of U.S. employees classified as belonging to a multicultural or minority group. Evolving faster When the pandemic struck, FCB evolved quickly to help employees and clients through the crisis, accelerating its in-house production capabilities to meet the demand for speedy remote production. The agency also started its “Never Finished Creators” program for all creatives, both within and outside the network, to produce visual work for FCB projects from home. “We went through so many briefs where we went to on-air and millions of views in three weeks,” including instances of going from brief to on-air within 24 hours, Murray says. During the height of panic buying, FCB delivered a timely campaign for Cottonelle discouraging toilet paper hoarding. When singer-songwriter Bill Withers died this spring, FCB delivered a Walmart spot featuring employees singing his hit “Lean On Me” that aired less than a week after his death. In response to Covid-19, FCB offered a content series to employees and clients, sharing lessons from around the global network on responding to the pandemic and later expanded the series in response to racial injustice protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd. “We were helping [clients] create their perspective,” FCB CSO, global Vita Harris says, with tailored insights, "whether as a result of Covid or racial injustice around the world. We have a really diverse team, so we were able to attack racial injustice just as we were able to tackle recession issues, because we have people with the knowledge and background.” 'Never finished' While FCB believes it has built an inclusive culture, the network acknowledges the need for significant progress in addressing systemic racism. Floyd’s death underscored the need for further measures, and FCB accelerated the rollout of programs already in development, in addition to existing programs such as mandatory antibias training and inclusion councils. FCB’s “Watch Out Words” model, which functions as part of its creative evaluation process, gives employees the tools and language to discuss the cultural implications of work and avoid anything that could be damaging or reinforce stereotypes. Harris developed the concept from her own experiences as a Black woman in the ad industry. The Work Cottonelle: “Share a Square” FCB Chicago’s timely effort for Cottonelle discouraged viewers from hoarding toilet paper during the peak of pandemic panic buying in March. The campaign debuted on social and included Cottonelle donating to the United Way Worldwide Covid-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund. #MeToo: “Act Too” Creative data agency FCB/SIX worked with #MeToo founder Tarana Burke to create a blockchain-backed digital platform promoting and documenting activism against sexual violence. An accompanying ad featuring Burke debuted on the third anniversary of the hashtag going viral. Walmart: "Lean on Me" FCB Chicago delivered an ad featuring Walmart employees singing Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me,” which aired less than a week after Withers’ death. Credle says FCB’s relationship with Walmart is a highlight of 2020: “We’ve found a voice for them that has really helped them as a company.” Mumbai Police: "The Punishing Signal" FCB Interface helped the Mumbai Police find a novel way to address a persistent traffic issue, discouraging noise pollution with a traffic signal that punished excessive honking with longer delays. The campaign was led by CCO Robby Mathew. “I came [into advertising] at a time when I was the only person who looked like me in the room,” Harris says, explaining that she was intrigued by how a lack of diversity led to culturally insensitive work and wondered how such missteps could be used as tools to teach people how to create work with more positive representations of marginalized groups. Harris worked with global chief talent officer Cindy Augustine and global organizational learning and development lead Holly Brittingham on antiracism efforts across FCB, addressing how the workplace, the workforce and the work intersect. FCB Joburg and Hellocomputer managing director Thabang Skwambane, who witnessed the end of apartheid in South Africa as a young man, says the period following Floyd's death was so painful he considered leaving advertising. Then he saw the commitment of leaders like Murray and FCB Africa group CEO Brett Morris, along with Augustine, Brittingham, Harris and others to promote a more equitable workplace. "We’re fixing our home here at FCB to get that right. That’s why I’m still here and I would never go to another [agency]," Skwambane says. Murray says he's proud of the progress the agency has made but adds there's still work to be done. He calls the lack of representation in production “a massive issue” and says the agency is committed to changing how it recruits talent and ensures an inclusive environment. “However successful we are, we’re never finished as leaders, as a culture,” Murray says. “Every year, ['Never finished'] seems to take on more meaning to us.” Check out all of Adweek’s 2020 Agency of the Year honorees here: The Martin Agency Is Adweek’s 2020 U.S. Agency of the YearDroga5 London Is Adweek’s 2020 International Agency of the YearHighdive Is Adweek’s 2020 Breakthrough Agency of the Year