Spencer Mandell is joining Gannett as its first creative director. In this new role, Mandell will lead the evolution of Gannett’s and its brands’ overall presence by elevating the creative work, craft, and storytelling needed for a subscription-led business. Mandell will drive the visual aesthetic and voice and ensure a consistent end-to-end brand experience across all touchpoints for Gannett’s consumer and b2b brands. He will lead a powerhouse internal creative team, including designers, copywriters, and creative services, in these efforts.
Mandell is an award-winning Global Creative Director with over two decades of experience in the media industry. He has previously held creative roles for New York Magazine’s The Cut and Refinery29, where he pioneered the development of new media content and co-branded programming, and created award-winning content for brands including Adidas, Alexander Wang, Bloomingdale’s, Dior, Maybelline, Almay, Old Navy, and National Geographic. Following Senior Creative agency roles at LAFORCE and Havas’s The 88, Spencer joined Facebook’s Creative Shop as Creative Director. At both Facebook and Instagram, Spencer created award-winning work for clients such as Vogue, Bud Light, Bentley, DiGiorno, Hershey, and more.
Before transitioning into the advertising industry, Mandell spent years in the Middle East and Asia as a conflict photographer for publications such as The Times of London, Newsweek, and the New York Times. He then went on to win “Best Directorial Debut” at the Los Angeles International Film Festival for his documentary film, “God’s Open Hand: Hope and Democracy in Afghanistan.”
“Gannett has many iconic new brands in communities across the country, along with USA TODAY, and am looking forward to working throughout the organization to grow these brands into a new age and create a culture of creativity,” said Mandell.
Mandell will report to Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Mayur Gupta who took on the new executive leadership role last September and is responsible for driving the vision and strategy as the company transforms into a subscription-led content business.
“I am deeply impressed with Spencer’s work, creative thinking, and passion for building cultural brands,” said Mayur Gupta. “Our organization, which is focused first and foremost on telling the stories from within local communities and the nation, will benefit from his global experience in storytelling, shaping culture while using creativity as an economic multiplier for brands.”
