CHARLOTTE TANSILL MOVES TO PUBLICIS CREATIVE U.S. AS FIRST PRESIDENT OF SOCIAL, CREATOR AND EARNED MEDIA

Publicis Creative U.S. has appointed former Ogilvy executive Charlotte Tansill as its first president of social, creator and earned media. Reporting to Publicis Groupe global chief strategy officer Carla Serrano, Tansill joins after leading major campaigns like CeraVe, bringing strong expertise in digital storytelling, creator partnerships and earned media strategy

Charlotte Tansill’s move from Ogilvy to Publicis Creative U.S. marks a strategic shift in an industry where the lines between advertising, creator-driven storytelling and earned media are increasingly converging. Known for her work on high-impact campaigns, including the widely celebrated CeraVe initiative that blended dermatological credibility with smart digital engagement, Tansill brings a reputation for steering brands into spaces where cultural relevance and social resonance matter as much as traditional creative ideas. Her appointment as the first president of social, creator and earned media at Publicis Creative U.S. is not just a new title within the organisation—it signals a deeper, deliberate recalibration of how one of the world’s largest communication groups intends to lead the next era of brand-building.

Publicis Creative U.S. created this role to consolidate capabilities that have historically been siloed across agencies. As social platforms evolve into hybrid entertainment, commerce and community ecosystems, the need for unified leadership over these touchpoints has become more urgent. Tansill’s arrival answers that need. Reporting directly to Carla Serrano, Publicis Groupe’s global chief strategy officer, she steps into a position designed to harness everything from creator partnerships and viral cultural conversations to earned storytelling and audience-first content strategies. For Publicis, this is a bet on a leader who has consistently demonstrated a keen understanding of how modern consumers move, behave and interact across digital spaces.

During her tenure at Ogilvy, Tansill played a pivotal role in advancing the agency’s social-first creative vision. The CeraVe campaign stood out not merely as a piece of advertising but as a blueprint for how brands can engineer cultural presence. Its clever mix of dermatology-backed messaging and influencer amplification reflected Tansill’s belief in authenticity and relevance as driving forces in today’s attention economy. Her ability to bridge creativity with platform fluency earned her both industry recognition and a reputation for pushing brands to think beyond conventional media frameworks. This track record positions her as an ideal figure to shape Publicis’ next chapter—one that requires more experimentation, more integration and more speed.

The expansion of creator and earned media functions within major advertising networks mirrors the broader shifts reshaping the global marketing landscape. Brands are no longer satisfied with polished, traditional outputs alone; they want work that lives, evolves and spreads across social feeds, comment threads and subcultures. Publicis Creative U.S., through Tansill’s leadership, aims to build systems that can respond to these dynamics in real time. Her new mandate involves not just creative oversight but building operating models that can translate insights into swift, culturally dexterous content. It is a role that demands someone adept at balancing craft with agility, and strategy with social instinct—attributes Tansill has exhibited throughout her career.

For Publicis, Tansill’s entry is also a signal to clients navigating the pressure of fragmented consumer attention. Complex ecosystems require leaders who understand not only the mechanics of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube but the psychology of the communities that shape conversations there. Early indications suggest that her brief will include cultivating a connected creative pipeline across Publicis agencies, accelerating creator collaborations, and strengthening the network’s ability to generate earned impact for global brands. As marketers increasingly look for work that breaks into culture rather than simply occupying paid spaces, these capabilities will determine competitive advantage.

Carla Serrano, who will directly oversee Tansill, has long advocated for integrating strategy and creativity to unlock greater cohesion across the Publicis Groupe. With Tansill joining the leadership fold, the network deepens its commitment to an ecosystem model where data, platforms, creators and storytelling converge. The creation of the president role—and the appointment of someone with Tansill’s background—reflects a belief that the future of advertising lies in orchestrating these intersections. For Tansill, the opportunity to shape this next phase of Publicis’ creative evolution represents both a challenge and a natural progression in a career defined by navigating the expanding universe of digital influence.

Her transition also underscores the competitive tensions among global agencies fighting for talent skilled in social-led creative thinking. As brands pour more of their budgets into influencer-driven content, social ecosystems and community-centric storytelling, leaders like Tansill become instrumental in redefining an agency’s market positioning. Ogilvy, for its part, loses one of its prominent voices in social and earned strategy at a time when demand for these capabilities continues to escalate. The move highlights the fluidity of the current agency landscape, where leadership appointments often serve as markers of where the industry’s priorities are heading.

While the immediate impact of Tansill’s appointment will unfold over the coming months, her arrival has already sparked discussions about how Publicis Creative U.S. will evolve its offerings. With consumer behaviours shifting faster than ever and platforms constantly rewriting the rules of engagement, Publicis’ decision to formalise a high-level role dedicated to social, creator and earned media appears both timely and strategic. Tansill steps in at a moment when brands are looking for more than campaigns—they want cultural participation, narrative continuity and cross-platform presence. Her challenge will be to translate those expectations into systems and creative outputs that deliver measurable impact.

As she prepares to take on her new role, the industry will be watching how her experience, instincts and leadership style shape Publicis’ larger creative engine. The move represents a meaningful chapter for both Tansill and the network that has chosen her to pioneer a new dimension of its creative practice. In a marketing environment defined by rapid shifts, algorithmic influence and the ongoing rise of creator-centric culture, her appointment captures a broader truth about the industry: the most successful agencies will be those that understand not just where audiences are, but how they behave, what they trust and why they participate. Tansill’s task now is to bring that understanding to the centre of Publicis Creative U.S.—and transform it into work that resonates far beyond the traditional boundaries of advertising.