As CMO of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe (SBFE), François Bazini shaped some of the region’s biggest beverage brands, from Schweppes to Ribena.

Now, after 11 years working in various roles across seven countries for the business, he’s leaving to write, teach, and support startups.

Bazini joined sister business Beam Suntory in 2014 as vp of marketing for the company’s global spirits division, overseeing brands such as Jim Beam before rising to international CMO and then global managing director of Scotch, gin, and Irish whiskey. He took on his most recent role in 2022, helping revive sales of legacy brands, and developing a framework for marketing excellence across the business.

As he looks to the next chapter, ADWEEK reflects on some of Bazini’s most recent game-changing campaigns, rooted in nostalgia and honest customer insights.

2024: La Casera | ‘Si No Hay La Casera, Nos Vamos’

When one of Spain’s most iconic sodas, La Casera, faded from the cultural spotlight, Bazini and his team decided to revive the brand’s classic 1980s tagline, “Si No Hay La Casera, Nos Vamos,” which literally translates to: “If There’s No La Casera, We’re Leaving.”

The result was a funny 40-second cinematic ad produced by Little Spain that felt straight out of a Pedro Almodóvar film. It shows a family dining in a traditional Spanish restaurant and suddenly revolting when the signature drink is revealed to be unavailable.

Bazini’s insight was simple: the brand’s legacy and emotional connection to Spanish culture were its strongest assets.

“We gave the brand confidence again,” he told ADWEEK. “Suddenly it wasn’t apologising for being there – it had a point of view on Spanish culture and on what quality means.”

He said System1 testing placed it in the top 1% of ads tested in Spain, and the commercial drove the first growth in share and penetration in over a decade.

2025: Ribena | ‘No Taste Like Home’

A staple of British childhood since 1938, by 2022, purple-hued juice Ribena had slipped out of the top 20 U.K. supermarket soft drink brands following years of inconsistent targeting, flavored water experiments, and rainbow rebrands.

Bazini’s solution? Again, go back to the brand’s roots. With help from BBH London, he spearheaded a campaign that riffed on market research linking Ribena with nostalgia and comforting family traditions.

“Consumers told us, unprompted, that they’d grown up with Ribena,” he explained. “Some even described themselves as a ‘Ribena family.’ Our job was to stop diluting that and put those emotions back at the center of the brand.”

“No Taste Like Home” celebrated this truth, using heartfelt storytelling to re-anchor the brand in family life.

Ribena stabilized sales in the aftermath and reclaimed its place as a household staple.

2025: Schweppes | ‘Take Your Time’

Last year in France, soda and mixer brand Schweppes faced up to the consequences of having ignored its core mature consumers who loved the bitter taste of products like tonic water.

The brand had spent years testing its products on and marketing to millennials, but since 75% of its sales were coming from those aged 50 and older, sales were falling flat.

So, Bazini reframed the brief. Instead of chasing 25- to 35-year-olds, he embraced the older demographic’s desire for connection, leisure, and indulgence.

Partnering with BETC Paris, the resulting campaign, “Take Your Time,” launched with a TV spot showing an astronaut delaying a rocket launch to enjoy a tonic. Centered on the premise that Schweppes was designed for those who liked to slow down and enjoy life, the ad was complemented by 10- to 15-second social vignettes expanding the storyline.

“The moment we accepted who really loved the product and built a campaign around their desire to connect, slow down, and enjoy life, the brand started to perform the way it should,” driving sales and engagement, Bazini said.

Horizon Media, among the world’s largest independent ad agencies, underwent a round of layoffs this week, cutting 50 roles out of a headcount of over 2,000 globally as part of a broader restructuring. 

In a company-wide email sent Monday evening, obtained by ADWEEK, CEO Bill Koenigsberg said that the layoffs were “part of a skills optimization effort and broader realignment across the agency.” 

The cuts affected various departments across the organization, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke under the condition of anonymity. Horizon declined to specify which departments were impacted.

The reorganization came as a surprise to many, according to the source. “It was definitely out of nowhere,” they said. The cuts affected some employees who had been with the company for over 10 years, they added, sparking concern that “anyone is vulnerable.”

A Horizon spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to ADWEEK, and said in a statement that the agency is “strategically focusing our current and future talent in the areas that drive the most value for our clients.” 

In his email, Koenigsberg noted that Horizon is changing some roles while “actively investing and hiring” in areas including “data, technology, AI, product innovation, and integrated capabilities.” 

The company is currently hiring for over 100 roles, the company spokesperson told ADWEEK.  “While these changes have unfortunately resulted in the elimination of some positions, this realignment allows us to continue delivering exceptional work for our clients and build on our momentum,” the spokesperson added.

“We are deeply grateful for the contributions of our departing colleagues and are providing them with support during their transition.”

The company is increasingly focused on scaling its tech and AI offerings. In December, it launched HorizonOS, a central hub integrating AI, data analytics, and external tech partners that help marketers plan media, activate, and measure more efficiently. HorizonOS is powered by Blu, the agency’s proprietary AI system designed to generate marketing insights.

Koenigsberg said that additional details about Horizon’s planned “evolution” in capabilities and “path ahead” would be shared in a town hall in April.

Suntory Beverage and Food Europe (SBFE) CMO François Bazini is leaving the company after more than 11 years, during which he held multiple roles across seven countries.

The marketing veteran originally joined sister business Beam Suntory in 2014, fresh from 10 years at Pepsi.

He started as vp of marketing for the company’s global spirits division, overseeing brands such as Jim Beam and Double Oak in the region. He quickly rose to become international CMO before becoming global managing director across the Scotch, gin, and Irish whiskey portfolio.

In 2022, Bazini moved to Suntory Beverage & Food Europe (SBFE)—the soft drinks arm of the Japan-headquartered Suntory Group—taking on the role of CMO. There, he led campaigns to revive sales for brands including La Casera in Spain and Schweppes in France.

Now, the exec told ADWEEK, he is taking a sabbatical to “give back” to the ad industry. This will include writing three books in parallel, teaching at business schools, serving on the boards of startups, and offering advisory support to high-growth brands.

Frank Suyver, SBFE’s people and culture director, told ADWEEK Marketing Stars, the group’s marketing excellence programme stands as one of the marketers’ most tangible legacies.

“By championing capability building and personally contributing to the development of our marketers, he has ensured that his impact will continue well beyond his time in the role,” Suyver said.

The business plans to announce a successor shortly.

In 2024, when it last reported its financials, the Ribena and Lucozade owners’ revenues were up 6.6% for the year at $10.78 billion.

A gap in the market

The first in Bazini’s literary series will focus on helping regional marketers navigate the leap to international and global roles.

The idea was born out of a set of notes he wrote to coach struggling colleagues, which evolved into a lunch‑and‑learn, then a formal half‑day training, and finally a two‑and‑a‑half‑day workshop.

Once he realized how widespread the problem was, he spotted a gap in the market.

“In my CMO role, I was famous for teaching, and people always told me ‘you should do that, or write books, because that’s when your eyes light up,’ so now I’m going to make that a bigger part of my life.”

Susan Credle, the ad industry luminary who added a literary twist to McDonald’s Happy Meals and led the highly visible makeover of the M&M’s mascots, will receive Cannes Lions’ prestigious Lion of St. Mark award.

The honor recognizes a lifetime of creative achievement—a suitable match for Credle, whose career is now in its fourth decade.

In a statement, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity chief executive (CEO) Simon Cook called Credle “a trailblazer and a creative force,” lauding her skill for “building cultures where creativity thrives” and “producing iconic work while shaping the values, standards and conditions for success.”

She joins advertising luminaries such as Droga5 founder David Droga and Wieden+Kennedy alumna Colleen DeCourcy in receiving the honor.

A storied career

Though Credle’s advertising career had an inauspicious start—she was the “bathroom-break girl” (in her own words) for the receptionist at BBDO New York—her imagination and drive led to a swift ascent.

After working her way from BBDO’s front desk to the job of executive creative director and executive VP, Credle landed the CCO posts at Leo Burnett Chicago and FCB New York, where she rebuilt the agency’s culture under the mantra of “Never Finished,” often expressed online as #NVRFNSHD.

While emerging as one of the ad industry’s most prominent and influential leaders, Credle was the guiding force in memorable campaigns. Her portfolio includes a culturally current update of M&M’s characters; a literacy campaign built around McDonald’s Happy Meal in which kids’ books replaced the toys; and “Mean Stinks,” an effort for P&G’s Secret brand to build awareness of the harms of bullying among girls.

In 2024, Credle was named global creative advisor for all agencies under the IPG umbrella.

Following Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG in December, the newly combined business laid off around 4000 staff and sunset legacy agency brands, including FCB. At the time, it was reported that Credle would not be joining the new business.

She is scheduled to accept her St. Mark laurels in person and also speak at the Lion of St. Mark seminar in Cannes on June 22.

In a statement regarding her win, Credle recalled being inspired by a poster in BBDO’s reception area commemorating the agency’s Grand Prix win for Pepsi’s “Archaeology” campaign in 1985.

“That Cannes Lions Award taught me something I’ve carried with me ever since: the best ideas don’t just succeed in the moment – they strive to be NVRFNSHD,” she said.

This week on Adspeak by ADWEEK, host Will Lee sits down with Jeff Greenspoon, CEO of the Americas at Kantar, on the sidelines of Brandweek, about why brand tension fuels growth. 

From meaningfulness versus differentiation to short-term performance versus long-term investment, Jeff shares Kantar’s framework for predicting brand success.

Through examples like Nespresso and Barbie, he explains how CMOs protect their north star while experimenting boldly, and why sustained brand investment drives stronger ROI, resilience, and lasting enterprise value.

What you’ll learn:

• The “Meaningful and Different” framework
• How to protect your brand’s north star while experimenting
• Why cutting brand spend during budget constraints sacrifices 3-5 years of growth
• The four-to-one ROI ratio of brand salience
• Nespresso and Barbie as case studies in navigating competing tensions
• How to translate brand metrics into CFO language in B2B organizations

Jeff Greenspoon is CEO of the Americas at Kantar, a global leader in brand measurement and marketing effectiveness backed by 50 years of proprietary research.

Previously with Dentsu, he brings deep expertise in brand strategy and marketing transformation. 

Jeff partners with organisations to navigate the tensions between consistency and innovation, and short-term performance and long-term growth, helping brands unlock sustainable, measurable impact.

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Personal finance is just that—personal, often emotional, and can be overwhelming.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture, recorded live at CES in Las Vegas, Matt Britton sits down with Natasha Madan, head of marketing at Intuit Credit Karma. Natasha shares how Credit Karma is evolving from a credit score provider into a personalized financial assistant powered by AI and over 80,000 data points. 

With 140 million members and 40 million monthly active users, the company sits on one of the richest consumer financial datasets in the world. But scale alone isn’t the story. 

The opportunity is to turn that data into ready-made financial experiences ranging from automated tax filing to personalized next-best actions that move members from credit building to wealth building. In an AI-saturated landscape, Credit Karma’s edge isn’t just automation. It’s trust, empathy, and relevance at scale.

At Credit Karma, Natasha Madan oversees end-to-end marketing strategy, driving growth, engagement, and financial progress through data, AI, and consumer-first storytelling. Previously, Natasha held leadership roles at Amazon, Meta, and Nestlé, where she developed deep expertise across technology and brand building. 

Her career reflects a blend of EQ-driven consumer empathy and IQ-powered performance marketing, a combination she now applies to scaling personalized financial guidance in a rapidly evolving AI and increasingly digitally informed consumer landscape.

Key takeaways:

[02:31] Simplifying Financial Decisions at Scale — With 140 million members, 40 million monthly active users, and 7–8 million daily users, Credit Karma operates at an extraordinary scale. But Natasha emphasizes that data is only powerful if it simplifies complexity. During tax season, for example, members can upload documents and complete a DIY filing in under 30 minutes. Guidance then becomes actionable and clear to the member, whether that means paying down debt or moving money into a high-yield account. Credit Karma strives to create and offer effective “done-for-you” experiences from the wealth of data that it has.

[04:26] 80,000 Data Points and the Next Best Action Frontier — Credit Karma leverages more than 80,000 data points to personalize financial guidance. If a member checks their credit score, they’re shown how to improve it. If they’re shopping for a credit card, they receive pre-qualified recommendations. But Natasha identifies the next frontier to be long-term goal orchestration, which means not just next best action, but long-term financial trajectory curation. The ambition is to connect short-term behaviors with lifetime financial progress.

[06:53] From Credit Score Provider to Financial Dashboard — Credit scores have become commoditized, and the next thing to tackle is becoming a comprehensive financial health platform. Natasha outlines the shift from “unblocking the financial system” to maximizing money outcomes across credit, taxes, savings, investments, and debt consolidation. Credit Karma is positioning itself as a personal financial dashboard, in effect, a “financial assistant in your pocket” that adapts to each member’s engagement style, whether set-it-and-forget-it automation or guided hands-on control.

[11:23] Financial Literacy in the Age of FinTok — Younger consumers increasingly turn to social platforms for financial advice, often receiving generic, non-personalized guidance. Natasha sees this as both an opportunity and a risk. Through CreditSmart and other tools, Credit Karma focuses on durable and personalized habit-building, like helping members build credit through rent payments, develop long-term savings habits, and understand their financial identity step by step. The goal is sustainable progress instead of firefighting steps.

[14:49] Trust Over Targeting in the AI Era — As AI democratizes targeting and content production, Natasha argues differentiation will shift toward trust. Credit Karma is investing in micro-influencers and creators, particularly for Gen Z acquisition. In an environment where creativity can be generated instantly, credibility becomes the moat. “Who” delivers the message will matter more than the message itself. Medium over message.

[20:55] Drive or Be Driven — Natasha’s personal mantra — “If I don’t drive, I will be driven” — reflects her leadership philosophy. In an AI-accelerated world, there is no room for reactive teams. Marketers must look around corners, experiment aggressively, and empower teams to challenge the status quo. The biggest risk, especially for younger professionals, is waiting for permission in the way of reacting to readymade market signals, instead of pre-empting and innovating, in a world moving too fast to pause.

British advertising titan WPP has named Nancy Hall CEO of WPP Media U.S. following a months-long search for a leader of the division helmed by WPP Media global CEO Brian Lesser. 

Hall is stepping into the role after a nine-month stint as the company’s chief client officer. Prior to that, she was North America CEO at Mindshare, a WPP-owned media agency. She brings nearly 25 years of experience to her new post, having worked across adland holding companies including IPG and Conversant, which as part of Epsilon was later acquired by Publicis. In those roles, Hall helped to build out programmatic and tech capabilities designed to drive client outcomes. 

“My priority is to accelerate our momentum through innovation—strengthening our data and technology foundation, deepening client impact, and cultivating a culture where our teams are supported, challenged, and able to achieve their highest aspirations,” Hall told ADWEEK in a statement. “When our people thrive, our clients do, too. I am committed to setting that standard in this next chapter.”

Lesser, to whom Hall will report directly, expressed his confidence in Hall’s appointment. Her record of pioneering data and technology capabilities to deliver strong client results, he said, aligns “perfectly with our strategic priorities across WPP.”

Beyond her expertise in leading tech-centric organizations, he added, “she is deeply committed to our people and cultivating an environment where they are able to reach their highest aspirations.”

The news comes five months after the departure of Sharb Farjami, who served in the role for less than two years. Since his exit, Lesser has helmed WPP Media U.S. in an interim capacity.

WPP, more broadly, is at a critical turning point. CEO Cindy Rose announced during its fourth-quarter earnings call last week that WPP is abandoning the holding company model and plans to consolidate its many parts into four key divisions: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production, and WPP Enterprise Solutions. It’s part of a $676 million annual cost-cutting effort that arrives on the heels of WPP’s worst annual financial results since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, with additional declines projected.

Rose also suggested the company is exploring the potential divestiture of specific business units, though she did not name these divisions.

The ad giant’s multiyear downturn has been marked by major client losses including Coca-Cola, Mars, and Paramount (all to rival Publicis), the unceremonious departure of seven-year CEO Mark Read, and a stock price slumping under macroeconomic pressures and widespread AI anxieties. 

As the incoming leader of WPP Media U.S., Hall will have her work cut out for her.

Some WPP Media clients signaled their support for her promotion.

“Nancy is a thoughtful and dedicated partner, passionate about driving the best work for her clients,” said Ryu Yokoi, Unilever’s chief media and marketing capability officer for North America, in a statement. “She consistently pushes those around her to consider how to innovate for the future, while maintaining focus on driving outcomes in the present.”

Brad Audet, Mazda Americas’ chief marketing officer, said that Hall “brings tremendous insight and dedication to the work that we do together, be it in AI transformation, new audience strategy, or media innovation—and always in the service of putting consumers first. This is an outstanding choice for WPP Media’s clients.”

Hall’s appointment is effective immediately.

Update Mar. 4 at 7:31 p.m. ET: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Hall worked at Publicis. She worked at Conversant before it was acquired by Publicis.

Chicago’s Manifest has tapped a longtime BarkleyOKRP executive and Chicago agency veteran to unify its client leadership following last year’s merger with Aisle Rocket.

Betsy Ross joins the midsize independent as chief client officer, the first major leadership hire since the two agencies formally integrated under a single brand. The move signals the agency’s next phase after consolidation: building a consistent client experience across the merged agency.

Ross, who spent seven years at BarkleyOKRP and more than two decades in Chicago agencies, will oversee Manifest’s client organization across its offices in Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and Phoenix.

Phase two of integration

The 2025 merger united Manifest’s content strategy expertise with Aisle Rocket’s creative technology and ecommerce capabilities under a single brand, creating a roughly 200-person independent challenger built to own the “middle” of the customer journey, where consideration expands and brands risk losing momentum.

Now, the agency has to deliver. According to Manifest partner and chief growth officer Melissa Bouma, the integrated structure required a single leader to unify what had previously been two client service organizations.

“We are bringing together and creating a new Manifest that we truly hope is going to be that right size agency to serve what clients need at this moment,” Bouma said.

On ‘productized’ agencies

Both executives framed the hire as a response to changing client expectations, with advertisers consolidating their agency rosters under pressure to drive measurable business impact.

At the same time, many agencies are packaging services into standardized, fixed-price offerings. Some agencies, like Stagwell’s Code and Theory, are going further, building proprietary AI tools to handle work that once required large teams.

Ross suggested that trend is creating frustration. “I was coming from a world where the solution was getting a little templated,” she said. “I’m excited to be part of flipping it upside down a little bit to meet what our clients really need.”

Rather than selling lines of service, Ross said her focus is custom work tied to client results, not billable hours. “If I wanted to be in sales, I would have gone into sales,” she said. “I am in relationship management for a reason.”

Growth agenda for 2026

Manifest ended 2025 focused on defining what differentiated the newly integrated agency. In 2026, Bouma said the focus has shifted toward helping more clients take advantage of the integrated offering.

The agency has secured new business in the pharmaceutical, travel, and hospitality categories, with additional announcements expected later this year. Leadership is also exploring further acquisitions, according to Bouma.

Ross will remain based in Chicago as the agency competes nationally against holding companies. For Ross, the appeal was returning to an independent structure where she could remain close to the work. “My sweet spot is working in that world where you’re still small enough to really have your handprint on the way we do business,” she said.

Bouma said she’ll measure Ross’s impact not just in revenue growth, but in client retention. “It’s about their satisfaction and happiness,” she said, “and showing consistency with growth at the same time.”

Havas Media Network North America has appointed Sharona Sankar-King as chief data and product officer, the agency told ADWEEK.

Sankar-King joins from marketing services firm Harte Hanks, where she served as chief customer and data officer, and will report directly to North America CEO Greg James. The hire gives Sankar-King oversight of Converged.AI, the agency’s proprietary AI platform, and its broader analytics practice across the U.S. and Canada.

Sankar-King’s appointment comes as Havas accelerates investment in AI infrastructure and positions Converged.AI as a differentiator in a market increasingly defined by data complexity and privacy fragmentation.

“The industry has shifted dramatically over the past 18 months, with AI, data, and product innovation converging at speed,” James said. “We conducted a thoughtful search to find a leader who could unify AI strategy, product development, and client impact under one vision. She brings a rare blend of consulting rigor, agency experience, and deep AI expertise to lead Converged.AI forward.”

Sankar-King brings more than 25 years of experience across agencies, consultancies, and marketing services firms. Before Harte Hanks, she spent over six years as an expert partner at Bain & Company, leading global work in customer engagement, marketing transformation, and AI-driven growth. Her agency background includes senior roles at BBDO, where she served as EVP and head of marketing science, and GroupM, where she led digital media optimization and advanced analytics across North America.

In her new role, Sankar-King will oversee Havas’ analytics practice and lead Converged.AI, the agency’s AI platform that connects 23,000 people across its global network. Since its launch two years ago, the platform has served as the foundation for tools like AVA, a no-code application launched at CES in January that lets staffers build and share AI workflows across the company. James describes it as the backbone of Havas’ AI-powered organization.

Sankar-King signaled her near-term focus will be on scaling what the agency has already built. “My focus is simple: accelerate our ability to deliver intelligence-led solutions at scale,” she said. “Clients aren’t looking for more noise; they’re looking for clarity, foresight, and solutions that actually solve real business problems.”

She was pointed about where the broader industry is falling short: “Most agencies focus on surface-level AI applications — automating tasks, building shiny demos, or experimenting in silos — without addressing the systemic issues that prevent AI from delivering real value: fragmented data, disconnected workflows, insufficient infrastructure, and a misunderstanding of AI’s role in augmenting human capability.”

In this episode of Brave Commerce, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Brian Gelb, senior vice president of wine and concierge at Total Wine & More, to unpack how a retailer is gaining share while the broader alcohol market faces headwinds. 

Brian shares how his military background shaped an “intent-based leadership” approach that pushes decision-making down, builds ownership, and requires teams to arrive with a recommendation, not just an issue.

They also discuss what often breaks down between suppliers and retail partners, why bringing real customer insights to the table changes the quality of joint business planning conversations, and how Total Wine stays focused on service, selection, and sharp pricing, while expanding into non-alcoholic, THC-infused, and emerging functional beverage segments.

Key takeaways:

• Intent-based leadership drives accountability by empowering teams to own decisions and defend their reasoning.
• Retailer–supplier alignment improves when both sides start with customer insights and shared strategy.
• Share growth in a challenging market comes from disciplined focus on experience, assortment, and price.