John Mescall joins By the Network, succeeding the late Per Pedersen

John Mescall, the longtime McCann creative leader who parted ways with the agency last fall, has joined By the Network, the 4-year-old independent global advisory network for creative agencies, as creative chair. Mescall will serve as the group’s creative leader, leading network-wide creative decision making and providing creative guidance to network members. He will also oversee creative council meetings and initiatives and evaluate the creative potential of prospective members wishing to join the group. In his role, Mescall will handle many of the duties once led by Per Pedersen, founder of By the Network, who died in early 2023. By the Network was founded in 2020 as a cooperative designed to help small independently owned agencies collaborate. The Denmark-based group now counts dozens of agencies worldwide among its ranks—many in Europe, but also North American shops such at Atlantic New York and Ostrich Co. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here The network has attracted many young boutique agencies run by creatives, which attracted Mescall. “Often life is as simple as following the truth to wherever it takes you. What’s true about advertising is that the best agencies are run by creative people. And the best work happens when great talent gets to work directly with ambitious clients,” he said. “This is exactly what excites and inspires me about By the Network. Every agency is owned and led by creative people. Every client gets to work with those people. And the only thing any of us care about is creativity that’s as potent and powerful as we can make it. Why else are we here?” Jack Smail, CEO of By the Network, called it “a great honor” to bring Mescall on board. “John’s ability to curate and unlock world-class creative solutions is extraordinary, and having him as part of this out-of-the-ordinary network feels just right,” Smail said. “We firmly believe the industry needs innovative solutions like By the Network that prioritize ideas, empower creatives and always focus on quality over quantity. Per’s vision of a new global network owned and run by creatives was a powerful one that continues to thrive and inspire.” Mescall was central to the team at McCann Australia that created the celebrated “Dumb Ways to Die” campaign for Metro Trains in 2012. He served as global executive creative director at McCann from 2014 to 2023 and was also president of the agency’s global Creative Leadership Council. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

John Mescall joins By the Network, succeeding the late Per Pedersen

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