Hi, I’m Cass! An accomplished, award-winning global creative leader, who lives at the intersection of creativity, media, and technology.
My talent has taken me from Toronto, to NY, Europe (Germany), and Asia (Singapore,
Korea), and has expanded many categories, including consumer goods, travel, QSR, health and wellness, entertainment, luxury, beauty, retail and automotive. I’m a bold and engaging leader, with experience in building, mentoring and leading large dynamic and diverse teams. I’m also obsessed with using data, rich consumer insights and culture to inspire brand love and loyalty and believe CX and engaging omni-channel experiential are the way forward for brands. In 2021 I joined Chief, an exclusive private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. I also sit on the Board of Advisors for Champions Against Bullying, a non-profit leading the way in prevention against bullying.
IKEA “Toy Box”
Mobile/Experiential/App
Meet the Ikea Toybox app.
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Ikea: not just a sexy home furnishings company—it’s also one of the world’s largest producers of paper packaging. And even, the basic IKEA cardboard box still provides them with endless possibilities. We developed a new app to help facilitate creative play by better empowering kids to turn an old box into something completely new. Reinforcing IKEA’s values of sustainability and creative play. It was presented on stage at Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity, by IKEA CMO, Claudia Willvonseder and was featured as ‘Campaign of the Week’ by Contagious Magazine.
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Volkswagen “No Competition”
Digital/Social/CRM
How we outsmarted Volkswagen’s competitors in the SUV category, by getting SUV drivers to think bigger.
Aside from the cars’ iconic unique personality traits, what most people weren’t realizing is that Volkswagen also comes in “big”. Volkswagen make SUVs – really good ones at that. Despite having strong competitive options in this product category, SUVs weren’t something that people associated with Volkswagen. Sales were flat, and recognition was low.
We knew that in-market shoppers were spending over 13 hours doing research prior to making their purchase; and specifically, they were comparing and evaluating Volkswagen’s competitors – not Volkswagen.
We knew that if we wanted people to consider buying us, we needed to inject ourselves into their research journey. By unapologetically hijacking competitor reviews with hyper-targeted banners, search ads, and YouTube Director’s Mix videos, we went head-to-head with our competition to shed a light on our competitor’s flaws, and told shoppers about what makes Volkswagen SUVs better. We were so confident that there was no better competition when it came to family SUVs, that we even rewarded people for checking out competitor reviews. The more they did their homework of researching other brands, the more credit they got to unlock toward their future Volkswagen purchase; and more importantly, the more they learned about our amazing SUVs.
Church’s Chicken “Hottest Collection of the Season”
PR/Social/Influencer
In early 2021 Church’s Chicken introduced their new Texas Tenders amidst a full blown Chicken war. We needed to stand out in a sea of crisp, golden deliciousness. That’s why the hottest drop of the season was a tender. Yes, a chicken tender. Introducing Church’s Texas Tenders Lookbook - the first lookbook dedicated to the art of the tender.
To reach a younger target, we took a cue from the world of athletic footwear, where ‘sneaker drops’ are major product-launch events that often give out lookbooks to showcase the product line. WT created a lookbook parody, complete with beauty shots and product names such as The Longhorn, The Lone Star and The Outlaw. It lit up social channels and was an AdAge “Editor’s Pick.” The best part? The product sold out in one month.
Check out the AdAge article here
Experience
I’m known for driving strategic vision and change. In addition to the above, a few of my career highlights include:
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Leading creative campaigns and solutions for global brands including Samsung, Manulife, Gillette, IKEA, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, Microsoft, Shell, Volkswagen
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Numerous award-winning campaigns (Effies, ADC, Clios); shortlisted at Cannes and One Show
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Unique strengths growing businesses across cultures and organizational boundaries
Signature skills
Creative Direction and Vision
Brand and Campaign Strategy
Integrated Marketing
Content and Production
Team Building and Leadership
My robust skillset is complemented by my curious nature, my love of learning, and my wanderlust spirit. When I’m not creating
award-winning global marketing campaigns, you’ll find me hiking trails with my dog Murphy, discovering my newfound passion for tennis, clocking KM's on my Peloton, or exploring the latest art exhibits.
Innovation is in my DNA and I’m inspired by fast, ever-changing environments.
If you’re looking to connect with a leader adept at marrying the creative, strategic and business mindsets, get in touch. You can reach out at:
casszawadowski@gmail.com
Current Role
Manulife | Head of Global Creative Excellence | 2023–present | Toronto, Canada
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As Head of Global Creative Excellence, I am tasked with providing Manulife with a creative competitive advantage across communication channels for our portfolio of segments and products, by combining first-class creative expertise and strategic thought entrepreneurship with commercial acumen. I’m championing creativity and customer centricity across the organization to ensure creative excellence becomes a recognized and respected driver of business growth for Manulife. Specific remit includes:
‣ Defining / Developing Manulife Global Creative Excellence mandate and roadmap creating more engaging and measurable connections between Manulife and its customers
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‣ Overseeing / Managing the successful implementation of Creative Excellence across its various operational drivers - culture, environment, people, process, stakeholder relations and technology
‣ Bringing to life the development of Manulife’s go-to-market marketing model and content strategy
‣ Raising the quality and effectiveness of Manulife’s creative output across all marketing channels and with all partners and building engaging brand and product experiences by transforming end-user needs and behavioural insights into compelling story-telling, interactions, offline and digital experiences to deliver significantly better marketing ROI
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‣ Partnering tier 1, 2 and 3 Advertising Agencies, to ensure quality and effective creative work across the global organization (North America, Europe, Asia)
Previous Roles
Wunderman Thompson | Chief Creative Officer | 2017–2023 | Toronto, Canada
As VP, Executive Creative Director, I was hired to up-level creative output and team performance. Within my executive leadership role, I co-lead agency operations and inspire growth for clients. Envisioning and executing brand strategies, my team and I enable digital transformation by leveraging creative, data, and technology. I partner closely with VPs of Strategy and Client Services to deliver on client initiatives, and lead a creative team of writers, art directors, content creators, across Canada and the US.
Of Wunderman Thompson’s top 20 global clients, I lead 5 within Canada, driving business growth and digital and CX transformation.
I was also selected to serve as 1 of 11 members on the WPP Global GSK Council, identifying and crafting top ideas from around the globe that are bold, innovative, award-winning, and drive the business forward.
FCB | Global Creative Director | 2016 | Hamburg, Germany
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Recruited to lead global creative teams across the EMEA market for Beiersdorf Nivea, I worked closely with client leads to ensure work was strategically sound and fit for purpose across multiple regions and channels. I championed innovative brand experiences, and upheld best-in-class marketing communications and content strategy.
Saatchi & Saatchi | Assoc. Creative Director | 2013–2014 | Toronto, Canada
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I was recruited back to Canada to develop strategic creative work for multiple national brands (Toyota, GSK, Tide). At Saatchi I spearheaded creatively-impactful and digitally-savvy campaigns for the trucks and SUVs and electric car portfolios. Our work received top honors (gold and silver) at ADCC, CMA’s, and Marketing Awards for Toyota and GSK campaigns. Highlights during my time at Saatchi included the great client relationships I built across the GSK and Toyota businesses, and the 2013 Toyota Super Bowl spot that I produced.
Cheil | Global Creative Director | 2017 | Seoul, Korea
At Cheil, I was brought on to work with global creative teams across the EMEA market, and elevate work across global go-to-market creative strategies for Samsung. I ensured work was strategically sound and fit for purpose across multiple regions. Championing innovative brand experiences, I upheld best-in-class marketing communications and content strategy for creative campaigns in emerging markets (India, China, Thailand, and Vietnam). This enabled me to develop an in-depth understanding of regions in the Asian market.
Carrying forward my leadership skills and strengths, I remained agile in my approach and successfully mobilized a diverse, multilingual team.
BBDO | Global Creative Director | 2014–2016 | Dusseldorf, Germany
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Hired to co-lead the global P&G Braun business in EMEA and South American markets, I partnered with clients to lead strategic and creative development across global platforms. Based out of BBDO Germany headquarters, I co-led the creative department within the 300+-person agency team.
Highlights from my time at BBDO include: launching Braun’s social media presence and advising on content strategy, ensuring a diverse, international talent mix, and working on €1M+ productions for Braun.
It was in this role that I formed my leadership style that is rooted in values of camaraderie and collaboration. My experience leading my first international team was a rewarding challenge, which allowed me to grow both personally and professionally.
GREY | Sr. Creative | 2011–2013 | New York, NY, USA
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At Grey, I served as a lead team on the Playtex business, driving feminine care and sun care across North America and Mexico. I contributed to agency new business initiatives, including the famous $200M+ RadioShack win in 2012. I also created and elevated brand experiences driving consumer engagement across Diageo, NFL, and P&G.
My time at Grey was an accelerated and intense creative period that exposed me to global businesses and global strategy, and taught me why culture in an agency is critical to agency health and success.
© 2021 by Cass Zawadowski