Brendan Gaul’s Mission to Make McCann a Home for Original Content

McCann’s new global chief entertainment officer, Brendan Gaul, is setting out to work hand-in-hand with the agency’s creative teams to rethink how ideas are brought to life, “with the goal of unlocking new opportunities around developing original content”.

Brendan takes on the role while continuing as global president of TRAVERSE32, which joins McCann from IPG Mediabrands following the companies’ Film Grand Prix-winning collaboration at Cannes Lions for L’Oréal’s ‘The Final Copy of Ilon Specht’. All parties involved considered the process so successful that aligning McCann’s creative pedigree with Traverse32’s expertise in bridging entertainment and advertising “was just a natural evolution,” Brendan tells LBB.

“Partnerships are more important than ever in this space,” he adds, “so I'm looking forward to leveraging my relationships with top directors, creators and producers to raise the bar with our own contribution to the world of entertainment that brands must succeed in today.”

Within the McCann network, TRAVERSE32 will operate as the entity that manages back-end tasks on behalf of clients and agencies involved, such as navigating the legal approvals process around things like licensing, usage rights and compliance clearances. “Structure-wise, it's a dedicated team that will service client accounts individually rather than being embedded within each team,” says Brendan.

It will also partner with McCann’s ‘celebrity talent’ team with the shared aim of strengthening connection with iconic talent and partners that bring a Hollywood-level expertise to clients and work.

“Original content in brand storytelling isn’t just about a new idea,” says Brendan. “It's about creating an experience that feels authentic, unexpected and, yes, tied to the brand platform, but compelling enough to stand on its own as a piece of entertainment and accepted as programming by streamers, networks and distributors.”

Much of this is based on how the project is built and who is in creative and business control of the project. TRAVERSE32, says Brendan, is built to do this in partnership with brands and agencies.

“What's always evolving is the audience, and today's audiences can smell inauthenticity a mile away. That's why it's so critical to make sure original content is deeply rooted in cultural truth and insight. And, of course, the work needs to be developed with that premium production value so viewers actually want to watch it from a craft standpoint.”

Despite the fragmented media landscape that advertising today operates in, Brendan believes that long-form entertainment is still becoming one of the most powerful brand-building tools for agencies and clients alike.

“This type of original content creates a longer relationship with the audience, which can build trust, emotional connection and lasting cultural relevance,” he says. Be it a docuseries, scripted originals or even feature films, Brendan sees brands leaning more into these formats to create more immersive experiences for audiences. “When we succeed, the work becomes a cultural asset for the brand that can continue to work for years,” he adds.

What’s more, he believes brands are getting bolder with this type of work too. “We are seeing more and more clients proactively approaching us for original, Hollywood-level content,” says Brendan. “Building enduring brands is what we do at McCann and long-form content creates a longer relationship with the audience, which in turn creates a longer relationship with the brand.”

Brendan’s move to McCann marks a homecoming. He started his career at the agency in 2002 as an art director before leaving in 2005 to build branded content units in J3, UM and IPG Mediabrands. Eventually he launched TRAVERSE32 in 2020 as a pure original content company working with brands.

TRAVERSE32’s track record already includes Dear Santa – a film and later TV series for the US Postal Service that won Best Documentary Premiere at the Heartland Film Festival and Best Feature Film at TribecaX – and 5B, the Johnson & Johnson-backed documentary about the first AIDS ward in San Francisco, which holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and sits in MoMA’s permanent collection. The company is currently developing multiple projects with leading Hollywood partners including Imagine Entertainment, Breakwater Studios, Blink49 and Helium, and is represented by CAA.

These industry accolades highlight how original content can blur the lines between culture and commerce – garnering critical acclaim while still serving brand objectives. For Brendan, that balance is the true measure of success for this new venture with McCann.

“Awards are nice, but the significant value that comes from long-form, original content is its ability to move some of the hardest to move metrics for brands,” he says. “When we are approached by a brand on a project it is important that there is an understanding of what it is that we are trying to achieve and build a project that succeeds for them. Each project is built to do something specific for a client and we track those specific markers closely.

“And, any time we spark cultural dialogue is a huge win for us and our clients' brands.”