ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Gaston Legorburu sets the strategic and creative vision for SapientNitro and its integrated marketing, brand communications, and commerce services. He has a passion for redefining how brands and consumers connect. This key focus has been instrumental in expanding SapientNitro’s success beyond its deep digital roots. Today the agency is breaking traditional barriers and has evolved to become a trusted brand steward for some of the world’s top brands.
Recognized by Adweek and Ad Age as a game changer who is modeling the agency of the future, Legorburu is known for constantly challenging the advertising industry to evolve its thinking and its actions toward real connections that create experiences and build real relationships among real people.
Since cofounding Planning Group International (PGI) in 1992—now the core of Sapient’s Miami presence—Sapient turned industry heads when it became the first interactive agency to acquire an above-the-line shop, Nitro Group, and quickly gained global acclaim with the award-winning “Best Job in the World” campaign.
Legorburu has been a driving force constantly working to evolve SapientNitro into a new breed of storyteller for an always-on world. Our unique Storyscaping approach and Idea Engineering framework mixes multidisciplinary teams of strategists, creatives, and technologists who reshape traditional brand storytelling into immersive experiences where consumers and brands truly connect.
During his tenure SapientNitro has grown into the largest worldwide independent agency and has racked up 14 Cannes Lions for its signature dish of “advertising as experiences.”
Throughout his career, Legorburu has helped clients gain unparalleled insights into effectively marketing their products and services in today’s increasingly complex marketplace. He continues to provide clients such as Citi, Coca-Cola, ESPN, Chrysler, and Unilever, among others, with innovative solutions to critical business challenges.
Widely recognized as a thought leader, Legorburu is frequently quoted in publications such as Advertising Age, Adweek, Bloomberg, Fast Company, and the Wall Street Journal and is a member of TED. He sits on the 4A’s digital board and the ADC advisory team. He is a sought-after speaker who has presented at notable industry conferences including Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, SXSW, ad:tech, OMMA Global, and SHOOT.
Legorburu is the recipient of numerous awards across the creative and advertising industry and has served as a judge for several prestigious award shows, including D&AD, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Art Directors Club, and the Webbys. He is also an active member of the Webby’s International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
If there were truly an office in the sky, that’s probably where you’d find Legorburu, or you might catch him in SapientNitro’s Miami office. His fun side reveals a Harley-Davidson riding, open-ocean fishing, artistic painter who enjoys life and making people laugh.
As a Vice President and Chief Brand Strategy Officer for SapientNitro, Darren McColl’s primary role is to help business grow by bringing insight to strategy and inspiration to creativity. He’s passionate about new ideas and almost obsessive with the psychology of why people do things.
Big in life and in presence, McColl joined SapientNitro in 2009. He has guided the shape of marketing strategy since joining Gaston Legorburu and the team in the United States. Always testing new approaches and thinking in the cauldron of real client work, he is as practical a strategist as you could find.
His common sense and business focus is built from more than two decades of marketing toil in both client and agency roles. This hybrid and well-aged perspective gives him an advantage when mapping out branding and marketing strategies. He has imparted this wisdom to numerous global brands, such as Virgin Blue Airlines, Virgin Megastore, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Mars, Foster’s Lager, Burger King, Subway, Foot Locker, Coca-Cola Brands, X Games & ESPN, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Visit Florida, and Grupo BBVA. His most recognized and award-winning accomplishment was earned for spearheading the strategy behind the “Best Job in the World” campaign for Tourism and Events Queensland.
McColl has been internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading strategists, with work awarded by three Cannes Lion Grands Prix, multiple Effies, MIXX Awards, New York Festivals, One Show, CLIOs, and D&D. Additionally, his expert thought leadership has appeared in notable trade publications and marketing textbooks.
He is a regular speaker at events and conferences around the world, from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to SXSW, Social Media Week, 4AAA’s events, tourism conferences, and the like. He has served as a judge for awards in marketing, advertising effectiveness, strategy, and creativity.
A Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, McColl holds a BA from RMIT University.
Although a well-seasoned international business traveler, Miami is his base where he lives with wife, Amanda, and two Australian-born miniature schnauzers, Maverick and Elle.
