Dentsu International launches 'Dentsu Creative'

Dentsu Creative will serve as the sole creative network for dentsu international working with clients around the globe.

Dentsu International’s Global CEO, Wendy Clark, and Global CCO Fred Levron announced the launch of Dentsu Creative, dentsu’s global creative network, at Cannes Lions.

Designed to unify and accelerate creativity across the business, Dentsu Creative will serve as the sole creative network for dentsu international working with clients around the globe.

Creativity will sit at the heart of dentsu international’s proposition bringing together the best of creative, media and CXM, further supporting dentsu’s ambition to own horizontal creativity and become the most integrated network in the world.

In alignment with dentsu’s global vision of designing a structure for horizontal creativity, Ajay Gahlaut, Group Chief Creative Officer, will now also be in charge of infusing creativity across Media and CXM besides Dentsu Creative in India.

In a bold move, dentsu international has created an entirely new global creative network, uniting its creative agencies, including DentsuMB, 360i and Isobar, and expanding its Entertainment, Earned Attention and Experience capabilities. The launch is part of a broader strategy aimed at simplifying client engagement and injecting creativity in everything dentsu international does, all backed by a depth and breadth of creative capabilities that are unparalleled in the market. Dentsu Creative is poised to transform brands and businesses through the lens of Modern Creativity, which looks to deliver ideas that Create Culture, Change Society and Invent the Future.

Led by Fred Levron, who joined dentsu international as Chief Creative Officer in November 2021 and has demonstrated the transformative power of creativity throughout his acclaimed career; Dentsu Creative will be comprised of 9,000 creative experts in 46 markets connected to 37,000 media and CXM experts across dentsu international and collaborate closely with dentsu’s creative team in Japan. In the near future, further leadership announcements will be made as Dentsu Creative brings in the next generation of strategic, production, business and creative leaders.

Fred Levron, chief creative officer, dentsu international said, “If you had the chance to build a brand new global creative network designed for the modern world, what would it look like? That is what we are answering with the launch of Dentsu Creative. Clients, talent and the industry at large are craving for a change: in the way we build brands, in the way we collaborate and in the role we give to creativity. If the current players have set the rules of the previous century, we have the ambition to set the rules for the decades to come.”

Wendy Clark, Global CEO, dentsu international said, “At dentsu, we’re building a modern agency network fuelled by horizontal creativity – a creativity designed to unify our people, their capabilities and our delivery for clients. We’re fortunate to draw from our Japanese heritage steeped in a relentless focus on craft, innovation and creativity. This legacy inspired our vision for modern creativity that was born in Japan and raised in a connected world. Dentsu Creative offers a simplified, modern creative proposition that answers clients’ needs for us to break down agency silos and inefficiencies and seamlessly connect our talent around the right client opportunities at the right time.”

Amit Wadhwa, CEO India, Dentsu Creative said, “Dentsu has over the years, time and again demonstrated innovation through creativity. With Dentsu Creative, we will unite our creative talent under one brand; this will further simplify client engagements and strengthen our creative prowess. Moving with times is important and now is the time to transform brands and businesses through the lens of Modern Creativity. Dentsu Creative ensures the best output for our clients and the best opportunities for our people, which is the most exciting part for me.”

Ajay Gahlaut said, “With Dentsu Creative, we will transform the creative face of dentsu as a network. As we add Modern Creativity to all the disciplines within the network and combine them, we will create a new-age powerhouse. Our aim is to bring profit and purpose together for our clients and our people. This is what the industry has been waiting for, and we are the forerunners of this breakthrough. Exciting times ahead!”

Dentsu Creative blends dentsu’s unique DNA of 120-year-old Japanese heritage and craft with its rich experience of building brands in the modern media landscape. Using customer intelligence to deliver ideas that are big enough to live anywhere, bold enough to chart new executional territory and rich enough to connect personally with millions. A striking visual identity has been crafted as a creative expression of East meeting West, a signal of the network’s dedication to craft and the transformative power of creativity and to help Dentsu Creative attract and retain the best creative talent.

This industry-first launch follows Dentsu Group’s February 2022 announcement of a JPY 250 to 300 bn acquisition investment fund for 2022-2024