McCann New York has made a series of key hires at its leading practices McCann Content Studios, Design and Production.
Joining McCann Content Studios are Ezequiel “Gori” Nastasi as head of creative & social, and Amanda Davis as head of content and social. Working alongside Monica Tailor, chief social marketing officer at McCann Content Studios, Gori and Davis will continue delivering social campaigns at scale and giving clients specialized services for the current creator economy. Most recently at GUT Buenos Aires as the head of digital and social, Gori brings more than 10 years of experience, having earned two Cannes Lions Grand Prix and Best Agency in the World. Before joining McCann, Davis led Social & Content at TBWA and Grey, helping earn recognition for their social & innovation work, including Cannes Lion wins in PR, Social, Influencer, and Gaming categories. Previously, she spent several years at VICE where she established their in-house agency, VIRTUE.
McCann Content Studios has continued to drive business globally, signing clients like Reckitt in the U.K. and TJ Maxx in the U.S.
Production
Strengthening McCann New York’s overarching production capability as chief production officer is Joe Calabrese who joins the agency’s executive leadership team. He will be responsible for spearheading innovative production solutions and transformation across all lines of business. Previously, Calabrese served as EVP, director of integrated production at Deutsch & Steelhead NY, where he oversaw a unified production engine across broadcast, innovation, experiential, social, digital, and print. McCann’s production department has been notably credited for award-winning work including Microsoft’s “ADLaM” campaign, Chick-fil-A’s “The Brake Room” and most recently, Mastercard’s integrated “Stand Up to Cancer” campaign, which culminated in a drone show over the Hudson River.
McCann Design
Artist, Rachel van der Nacht has joined McCann Design as associate design director, continuing the growth of McCann New York’s award-winning design team. She will report directly to the head of design, Matt van Leeuwen. The team’s growth comes amidst a banner awards season, with multiple campaigns being recognized, including “ADLaM” for Microsoft winning Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign at the 2024 ADC Designism Cube, Best Typeface Development in Monocle’s 2024 Design Awards, and “The Brake Room” for Chick-fil-A winning the Webby for Best Experiential Campaign and an ANDY. Additional design-led campaigns have included a custom typeface for TJ Maxx, a maximalist design system for Smirnoff’s “We Do We” campaign, and an entirely new visual identity for Prudential.
Melissa Avery
In addition, Melissa Avery has recently joined the agency as SVP global creative director on the Chick-fil-A business. Previously serving as sr. creative director at Verizon’s in-house agency, Avery brings more than 20 years of award-winning creative experience, having worked on campaigns for brands like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Colgate, and Rubbermaid to name a few. The hiring of Avery comes on the heels of Suzanne Ayello joining the agency as managing partner, leading the U.S. business across L’Oreal’s suite of brands.
“The heart of McCann is its people and the diverse perspectives they bring to their work and the agency,” said Amber Guild, CEO, McCann New York. “Our clients look to us to lead their brands and businesses forward. In today’s hyper visual world — a world that is evolving at an exponential pace — we must continue to build the next generation of design, social, content and production capabilities. These leaders are critical to that work, and we’re excited about the talent we’re bringing in to supercharge our creativity.”
