Award-Winning Global Creative Leader Francesco Grandi Returns to Ogilvy Canada

(L-R) of Gavin Drummond, Marie-Lise Campeau, and Francesco Grandi

Ogilvy today announced that Francesco Grandi has been named chief creative officer for Ogilvy Canada. He will work in close partnership with Gavin Drummond, co-chief creative officer, who returned to Ogilvy Canada in 2021, and Marie-Lise Campeau, president of Ogilvy Canada. Francesco and Gavin will be responsible for overseeing the creative output for the agency’s local, regional, and global clients which include Mondelez, TD Bank, Unilever, Hellmann’s, Absolut, Pizza Hut and Kimberly Clark, among others. Francesco, who will be based in Toronto, will also continue to play a leadership role on Ogilvy’s global Dove Men brand; Gavin is based in Quebec.  

Francesco Grandi said, "In the spirit of David Ogilvy, I hope to bring some Divine Discontent to Canada. When you play with an edge, you go further. We’re going to challenge ourselves and our clients to see just how far we can go. This is the agency that birthed classics such as ‘Evolution’ and ‘Diamond Shreddies’ – ideas that made it to the world stage and made our clients famous. That’s precisely the goal, and I cannot wait to dig in with my ridiculously talented partners.” 

Marie-Lise Campeau, president of Ogilvy Canada, said, “Francesco is a creative powerhouse with a track record of delivering creative solutions for clients that not only make an impact on their business, but help their brands land in culture. Look no further than his recent work on the ‘Toxic Influence’ campaign for Dove as a shining example of just that. As passionate as Fran is about doing extraordinary work, he is equally invested in building the careers of others. It is just one of the many reasons we are thrilled to have him coming back home to Canada.” 

Chris Beresford-Hill, president of advertising for Ogilvy North America, said, “Ogilvy is fortunate to have a deep bench of incredible creative talent across our global network. Francesco has a track record of producing big work for some of our biggest clients. His Canadian roots and global mindset are a rare combination and will help position Ogilvy Canada not only as a leading shop in the market, but a global force.” 

Dan Fisher, Ogilvy’s global executive creative director for Unilever, said, “Francesco is the only person I’ve ever hired twice, so it’s with some authority that I can say he’s an absolutely stellar talent. Ogilvy Canada has always been a key part of our global Unilever business, especially on Dove, so I’m delighted he’s going to be leading the team there and look forward to watching him turbo charge what is already a great agency.” 

This marks a return to Canada for Francesco, who began his career as an intern in Ogilvy’s Toronto office. For over seven years, Francesco has worked across Europe, most recently serving as global creative director for Dove Masterbrand. His work on this year’s 'Toxic Influence' campaign for Dove was recognized with a Gold Lion, two Bronze and 11 shortlists, including a shortlist for Titanium, which celebrates provocative, boundary-busting work that marks a new direction for the industry and moves it forward. The global film has been viewed over 120 million times to-date and is on track to becoming the most successful in Dove Masterbrand history.  

Prior to that, Francesco worked at Saatchi & Saatchi UK where he penned a gen z anthem starring Billie Eilish for Deutsche Telekom, a campaign that was widely praised and won a Eurobest Grand Prix. During his time in London, Francesco also led the global social Guinness account at R/GA London and has worked on some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Netflix, Smirnoff and Amazon Prime Video.  

Francesco previously worked at Canadian agency Rethink, where his work on the Uber Safe campaign became a global initiative winning over 45 international awards, including Cannes, One Show, Clios, and a Grand Prix at the ADCC’s. Francesco is dedicated to working to develop the next generation of creative talent through his roles as a D&AD New Blood Mentor as well as a mentor for Creative Equals.