NEW YORK, April 1, 2026 – M+C Saatchi North America, the integrated network that helps brands navigate and command change through cultural power, today announced it has appointed Naz Kasim as its first Executive Creative Director, Art and Design, a newly created role that reinforces the agency’s investment in the capabilities that keep brands distinctive in an era of AI homogeneity.
Kasim has already hit the ground running, leading the design of M+C Saatchi North America’s 2026 Culture Zine, the agency’s flagship cultural intelligence report designed to decode changing patterns in behavior for brands.
Building on last year’s “Vibepocalypse” thesis — defined by emotional overload and cultural fragmentation — the new edition introduces the concept of “Mini Worlds,” a shift toward smaller, self-defined communities that people use to navigate constant instability. The report shows how culture is moving from mass reach to belonging and participation, giving brands a blueprint for relevance in 2026 and beyond.
The project offers an early example of how Kasim’s appointment will help strengthen M+C Saatchi’s ability to translate cultural insight into distinctive creative output.
His appointment comes amid strong momentum for M+C Saatchi North America, which has increased its revenue over and client wins over the past year and was recently named as the U.S. Soccer Federation’s strategic integrated marketing agency ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America. The agency also kicked off a campaign for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, the first-ever FDA approved GLP-1 pill for weight loss, with its first Super Bowl ad, and expanded its work with JPMorganChase by taking its “Make Happen” campaign global.
The recent growth at the agency also includes a number of key new hires on the leadership team. By bringing on Kasim, a Malaysian-born art and design lead whose portfolio spans beer and spirits, finance, FMCG, technology and hospitality brands across Asia, Europe and North America, M+C North America is making further investments in its creative capabilities. Kasim’s campaigns and brand platforms have been recognized at Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clio, Effies, D&AD, and leading award shows across Asia.
Most recently, he helped build out the design offering at Havas New York as Executive Creative Director and Head of Art and Design, where he spent nearly a decade.
“Design has become one of the clearest ways brands can protect and sharpen their distinctiveness,” said Stevie Archer, Regional Chief Creative Officer of M&C Saatchi North America. “We live in an increasingly visual world, and as AI produces more of the same, craft, curation and aesthetic judgment matter even more. Naz brings an exceptional design sensibility and global experience that helps us raise the level of the work across markets while maintaining a consistently high standard.”
“M&C Saatchi has a reputation for bold thinking and cultural relevance, which makes it an exciting place to push design further,” said Kasim. “Having worked across different regions, I’ve seen how design can act as a universal language, connecting strategy, storytelling and craft. I’m excited to help build on a design culture here that elevates the work and gives brands a visual identity that truly stands apart.”
Kasim began his career at Saatchi & Saatchi in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore before moving to the U.S., where he led Citi at Publicis and served as ECD at Havas, overseeing Keurig, BNY Mellon, and Lincoln Financial, in addition to leading creative on Gillette and Hyatt at BBDO New York.
