ANDY Awards Tap FP7McCann’s Federico Fanti to Oversee SWANA Region

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Now in its fifth consecutive year, the regional competitions precede global judging, giving work from every continent the opportunity to be seen and celebrated locally before advancing to the international stage.

The regional model, introduced only a few years ago, aims to democratize access to the ANDYs by removing entry fees and spotlighting work from underrepresented markets. 

Entrants can compete at the regional level free of charge, with shortlisted work eligible to move forward to the global competition.

Among this year’s newly announced jury heads is Federico Fanti, Regional Chief Creative Officer at FP7McCann MENAT, who will preside over the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. 

Other regional chairs include Yaa Boateng (Africa), Raj Kamble (Asia), Youri Guerassimov (Europe), Josefina Casellas (LATAM), and Emma Robbins (Pacific).

Federico Fanti, an Italian creative leader, joined FP7McCann MENAT in 2022 after a long international career spanning Europe and Asia, where he worked with major global brands such as Barilla, Coca-Cola, P&G, Snickers, and Pepsi.

Under his leadership, FP7McCann has become one of the Middle East’s most awarded networks, amassing multiple Lions and top rankings in global creative listings.

His selection reflects the ANDYs’ preference for global seniority and cross-market perspective.

However, in a region as rich and diverse as SWANA ––The term “SWANA” stands for Southwest Asia and North Africa and is used as an alternative to the more commonly known “Middle East” or “MENA” (Middle East and North Africa)–– the choice also highlights an ongoing gap: while Fanti’s global credentials are undeniable, the region is home to many accomplished Arab creative leaders who could have brought a more native understanding of its languages, cultures, and nuances to the judging table. 

Last year, Ali Rez, Chief Creative Officer, IMPACT BBDO was chairing the SWANA jury, which also included Marie Claire Maalouf, Frederico Fanti, Rana Hamarneh, Noor Hassanein, Vidya Manmohan, Mohamed Sehly and Joao Medeiros. 

For many in SWANA, what’s needed is a chair who shares lived experience of the region: language subtleties, cultural tensions, local taboos, audience behaviors. A regional seat is progress — but for SWANA, a homegrown voice would have resonated louder. 

If the ANDY's want to deepen regional legitimacy, moving forward they’ll need to ensure more Arab nationals are in such roles — not just for show, but to truly shift the power of who judges what “winning work” looks like in SWANA.