Jordan Doucette on Leading McCann Canada Into 2025
As McCann Worldgroup Canada enters 2025 under the leadership of Jordan Doucette, the agency’s new chief creative officer, the creative landscape is poised for an exciting evolution. With an impressive track record, including award-winning campaigns at Dentsu Creative, Jordan’s a bold vision for the future promises to bring a fresh perspective to one of the most successful networks in the industry.
Speaking exclusively to LBB, Jordan shares her approach to shaping McCann’s creative direction, the role of innovation and collaboration in today’s fast-changing advertising world, and her plans to push the boundaries of creative excellence while staying rooted in the agency’s long-standing ethos–“Truth Well Told.”
From leveraging emerging technologies like AI to embracing the human truths at the heart of every campaign, Jordan reveals how McCann Canada plans to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly shifting landscape. As McCann continues to build on its legacy of effectiveness, Jordan's insights offer a glimpse into how the agency will navigate the complexities of modern creativity, balancing innovation with authenticity to connect with audiences in 2025 and beyond.
LBB> Congratulations on your new role as the chief creative officer at McCann Worldgroup Canada! Given your extensive experience in creative leadership, what unique opportunities do you see in this position to shape the future of McCann's creative direction, particularly in the Canadian market?
Jordan> Thank you! I'm definitely joining at a time of immense momentum. Having recently been awarded the number one spot on the Effie Awards Most Effective Agency Network for 2024 - the 5th time McCann Worldgroup has achieved this in the past six years - the agency feels turbo-charged to define its next chapter.
Then, of course, there’s the vision of Javier Campopiano, McCann’s worldwide chief creative officer, who is nothing short of amazing. Plus, there's some incredible talent joining, like Britt Nolan, who gave me my first job in the US, at Leo Burnett Chicago. I can't say enough incredible things about him, the way that he works so collaboratively and strategically with clients – it’s brilliant. And I'm excited to bring all of my experiences to this role, especially having had the chance to work in two US markets and having seen the power of a network, especially one as connected as this one.
LBB> Having previously led award-winning campaigns at Dentsu Creative Canada, how do you intend to leverage your knowledge of emerging creative trends and technologies to further elevate McCann’s work? And more specifically, how important is innovation in your own creative process?
Jordan> My favourite piece of work I’ve ever made was Inflation Cookbook. That piece of work really defines how I see creativity moving forward.
Gone are the days where creativity is just a writer and an art director in a room, who reappear two weeks later with an idea. What I learned from the Inflation Cookbook is that collaboration is crucial if you want to truly innovate. In the case of IC, we needed to partner with legal, without them, we could never have made this idea happen. When I look at the ecosystem of people who made that work, it was tech, data, legal, finance, and the brilliant creatives and designers, all with Fred Levron at the helm. It wouldn't have been possible without a whole network of people motivated to really push the boundaries of creativity.
The client was launching a net-new grocery delivery service at the height of the food inflation conversation. It was a very hostile environment, so we thought if you want to do something, you better give a tool to people to endear yourself. We decided we needed a piece of utility.
We spoke to a professor of agriculture at Dalhousie University about food inflation specifically. We learnt it is not just food inflation, but about how more traditionally cheap foods are now the most expensive. People are going to the grocery store and not knowing what to do. We wanted to build a tool that wasn't just teaching consumers about the price increase, but figuring out how to practically navigate grocery shopping in light of the inflation.
For me, at the heart of that idea was a human truth, which is that the volatility of inflation is what is hurting people. We had no idea how we were going to bring this idea to life, we didn’t even really know the skill sets it required, but we were so committed to the concept. It was just about being relentless, and not letting go. I learned so much through that project.
LBB> Your portfolio spans a wide range of industries. What is your approach to tailoring creative strategies for different sectors, and how do you ensure that your work remains fresh and relevant across diverse client needs?
Jordan> I try to never make an assumption about what the category can or can't be. For example, when I look at the insurance category, which went from no one wanting to be involved with, to becoming one of the industries doing some of the best work in the world. Or take deodorant, no one wanted to work in this world until Old Spice changed everything. Now people see those categories as an opportunity. I’m always keen to consider “what are the conventions of that category?” “Why do those conventions exist?” And “which ones can we break to do more breakthrough work?” The ones that haven't been broken are probably where the unique opportunities are.
Also, for some reason, I really resonate with QSR, and I don't know if that's because of the speed or the fact it's such a human everyday thing – we are always thinking about what we're going to eat. I love consumer packaged goods too. As a category, it feels hard, but when you do something interesting in that space it feels particularly rewarding.
LBB> How do you plan to build on McCann Worldgroup’s “Truth Well Told” philosophy when it comes to creative ethos, particularly in today’s fast-evolving advertising landscape. How will you ensure McCann Canada continues to drive meaningful connections with audiences?
Jordan> Honestly it was one of the reasons that attracted me to McCann, because there are so few agencies that have such a long standing ethos which hasn’t changed. How amazing is that? It means you're not training people to understand something, but rather it's embedded in the culture of the place, and I think that is a huge advantage.
I also believe the fastest way to brilliant work is having the human and brand truths at the heart of it, like with Inflation Cookbook. If you know it to be true, then the actual outcome and work that you do is going to be effective because it is already foundationally strong.
The other thing I've learned in my career is having a shared language of what success looks like. Part of that ethos is the framework of “impossible to deny, impossible to ignore, impossible to avoid”. What I love about that is you can look at a piece of work, and instead of everyone having a subjective opinion whether it's good or not, you apply that framework to it, and it helps you evaluate if it's going to do the job that you want it to do. Having that shared language not just internally, but with our clients too is, to me, a shortcut to breakthrough work that is really going to be effective in the market. With all of McCann’s Effie wins, this approach is clearly working.
LBB> With McCann Worldgroup Canada recently winning big again at the Effies, what do you see as the next steps in further solidifying McCann’s leadership in the creative industry?
Jordan> I can’t take credit for any of that, but it is amazing to see the energy around it, especially because the Effies are about effectiveness which is what we all want to achieve. But, the thing with winning is, it must be maintained. So next steps are keeping the streak up and really figuring out what got the agency to this point.
One person that helped get the agency here is Amanda AJ Jones, the CSO here in Canada. She is relentless about making sure the work is effective, and helping shape the work in that regard. I will be leaning into strategy and creative partnership to make sure this remains true. Beating this amazing year again next year will be a great challenge but I’m embracing it. The chance to work with AJ is a big reason why I’m here.
LBB> As the creative industry continues to evolve, collaboration between departments is becoming more and more crucial. What steps will you take to foster a culture of collaboration across McCann’s teams and brands, and how do you plan to integrate AI and other emerging technologies into the creative process?
Jordan> Forever and always, it has to lead with the idea. AI - or whatever technology - has to fuel that idea. The ideas that fall down often tend to start with tech and then try to back load in the human insight or whatever – I'll never do that. Some people are scared about AI and emerging technology, but I feel like it's only going to amplify our work and allow us to do more interesting things. I’m excited about it.
It is also important to ensure there is a culture of knowing it's okay not to know. For example, I had no idea how to make an “inflation cookbook”. I didn’t even know the words to use to find the people in the network that could help us build it. But if you're open and honest about these things, all of a sudden everyone wants to help and can support the idea. I am happy to endorse a culture of “we don't know, but we're deeply committed to the idea, so we're going to figure it out, and we're going to be relentless”. To me, those are the ingredients, and then to also reward the practice, not just the wins.
LBB> Looking ahead to 2025, what do you foresee as the biggest shifts in the advertising and creative sectors, particularly with advancements in AI, data-driven creativity, and consumer behaviour? How do you plan to keep McCann at the forefront of these changes?
Jordan> There are a handful of things. One is different perspectives at the table, for sure. The creative department has to be bigger than the creatives. And the fact we have the gift of the network and being able to pull in different kinds of people with different backgrounds to build new ideas is the thing I'm the most excited about. In getting those ideas to scale, I feel next year we'll see a more diverse body of work being awarded.
I think funny stuff is going to come back. I think shorter formats will be rewarded. I think it's okay to make an ad now. I think it was Brit who pointed out that there is something so amazing about a culture of shared advertising. I hope to see more culturally important advertising.
I’m happy to see we are returning to great advertising for big brands and big brand building. Really building on a brand ethos and doing consistent work on that brand platform. I'm excited because I think there's going to be more room for more kinds of work, which is exciting when you're big like us, with all kinds of clients.
LBB> And lastly, as a creative leader, how do you stay inspired and push the boundaries of your own creativity?
Jordan> For me, having a growth mindset is crucial. Even if you get to a super senior point, you should always want to learn and be open about that. I look to people like Javi, and the hires he's making, and I think I want to embrace the perspectives that they're bringing to the table. It’s a combination of contributing all of my experiences and what I've learned along the way, but also being open to learning new things, because that's where the creativity lies. Fear is the biggest killer of creativity, and the industry is stressful at times, because the world is stressful right now. I find empathy and vulnerability helps forge a more inspired culture at an agency, so that's my big focus for next year. As I get to know the team and the clients, I will keep trying to create a culture where fear doesn't seep, so that people can really do the best work of their careers.
