Gary Steele
Chief Creative Officer
McCann New Zealand
Auckland
Topic: What can audio do that other channels can’t?
About Gary:
• 29 years of Global, Regional & local experience across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe & Australasia
• Over 420 awards at all festivals including Cannes Lions
• Cannes Glass Lion Shortlist for Correct The Internet 2023
• Cannes Stage Speaker 2024
• Cannes Network Of the Year 2025
• Cannes Regional Network Of The Year 2025
• Won a D&AD Black Pencil, 3 Yellows, 3 Graphite & 12 Wood
• NZ Agency Of The Year at Spikes Festival Of Creativity 2021/2022/2023/2024/2025 & 7 Grand Prix, 1 Glass, 15 Gold, 21 Silver, 19 bronze
• AWARD Regional Network Of The Year 2025
• Axis Agency Of the Year 2020/2021/2022/2024
• Agency Of The Year at NZEffies 2020
• Campaign Brief's Creative 2019/22/23 Agency of the Year - DDB New Zealand
• Ranked #1 Creative Agency of the Year on Best Ads Global Rankings 2019/2021
• Ranked #2 Executive Creative Director of the year 2021 on Best Ads Global Ranking
• Campaign Creative / Digital & Social Agency of the year 2019
• Voted 1 of the Most Influential Creative Directors in Singapore 4 years in a row (2015/16/17/18)
Gary is the Chief Creative Officer of McCann New Zealand and over his 29-year career, he has worked on some of the world’s most celebrated global brands across Europe, Africa and Asia. Over this time the work he has helped create has been celebrated over 400 times across all the international advertising festivals.
Since he joined DDB New Zealand, he has helped shape it into the successful agency it is today, with its work being recognized at all the international advertising festivals, including winning the coveted D&AD Black Pencil in 2022. The second Black Pencil for New Zealand and a career highlight for everyone. Gary has also helped DDB New Zealand achieve Agency of the Year for New Zealand at the Spikes Festival for the fifth year running, bringing home a total of 7 Grand Prix over that time.
Another highlight for DDB New Zealand was its contribution of multiple Cannes winning campaigns that helped DDB Worldwide take home the Cannes Network of the Year in 2023 and again in 2025, a feat everyone is proud of and another personal goal on his extensive to-do list.
But if you ask Gary what drives him, he will tell you He tangata, he tangata, he tangata, the people, the people, the people. Those he has worked with and helped grow into the great creative people they are today, without whom Gary would not have this bio or any of these accolades.
About Gary:
• Over 420 awards at all festivals including Cannes Lions
• Cannes Glass Lion Shortlist for Correct The Internet 2023
• Cannes Stage Speaker 2024
• Cannes Network Of the Year 2025
• Cannes Regional Network Of The Year 2025
• Won a D&AD Black Pencil, 3 Yellows, 3 Graphite & 12 Wood
• NZ Agency Of The Year at Spikes Festival Of Creativity 2021/2022/2023/2024/2025 & 7 Grand Prix, 1 Glass, 15 Gold, 21 Silver, 19 bronze
• AWARD Regional Network Of The Year 2025
• Axis Agency Of the Year 2020/2021/2022/2024
• Agency Of The Year at NZEffies 2020
• Campaign Brief's Creative 2019/22/23 Agency of the Year - DDB New Zealand
• Ranked #1 Creative Agency of the Year on Best Ads Global Rankings 2019/2021
• Ranked #2 Executive Creative Director of the year 2021 on Best Ads Global Ranking
• Campaign Creative / Digital & Social Agency of the year 2019
• Voted 1 of the Most Influential Creative Directors in Singapore 4 years in a row (2015/16/17/18)
Gary is the Chief Creative Officer of McCann New Zealand and over his 29-year career, he has worked on some of the world’s most celebrated global brands across Europe, Africa and Asia. Over this time the work he has helped create has been celebrated over 400 times across all the international advertising festivals.
Since he joined DDB New Zealand, he has helped shape it into the successful agency it is today, with its work being recognized at all the international advertising festivals, including winning the coveted D&AD Black Pencil in 2022. The second Black Pencil for New Zealand and a career highlight for everyone. Gary has also helped DDB New Zealand achieve Agency of the Year for New Zealand at the Spikes Festival for the fifth year running, bringing home a total of 7 Grand Prix over that time.
Another highlight for DDB New Zealand was its contribution of multiple Cannes winning campaigns that helped DDB Worldwide take home the Cannes Network of the Year in 2023 and again in 2025, a feat everyone is proud of and another personal goal on his extensive to-do list.
But if you ask Gary what drives him, he will tell you He tangata, he tangata, he tangata, the people, the people, the people. Those he has worked with and helped grow into the great creative people they are today, without whom Gary would not have this bio or any of these accolades.