Uncensored CMO

Jess Butcher MBE has built a career at the intersection of technology and consumer behaviour. She co-founded AR pioneer Blippar and has since turned her attention to a growing issue: how AI and social media are shaping our brains, behaviour, and wellbeing. In this episode, Jess shares what she’s learned as a founder, why female entrepreneurs still struggle to access funding, and why she believes b...

Craig Brommers, CMO of American Eagle, joins us to go behind the scenes of one of the most talked-about campaigns of the year; Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle. Craig reveals what really happened, why the brand partnered with Sydney, and how they handled the extreme social-media reaction. We discuss the data behind the campaign’s success, the decision to pause before responding, and what the adve...

After an illustrious 37-year career in advertising, legend David Droga is stepping down as CEO of Accenture Song and retiring. Under his leadership, Song grew 8% to $20 billion in FY25, up from $19 billion the previous year . A fitting closing act for one of the industry’s most creative leaders. In this second conversation with David, we reflect on his career, the lessons he’s learned, and what he...

Richard Shotton, author of The Choice Factory and the newly released Hacking the Human Mind , joins us to explore the behavioural science behind the world’s most iconic brands. From Guinness’ 119.5 second pour to Red Bull’s unconventional rise, Richard explains the psychological shortcuts that drive consumer decisions. We cover why 4-star reviews beat 5-stars, the secret behind Liquid Death’s succ...

Dame Carolyn McCall OBE is the CEO of ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster. She was previously CEO of The Guardian Media Group and easyJet, and currently serves as President of The Marketing Society. This year marks 70 years of TV advertising, celebrated with the launch of the new report, Living Room Legends , which explores the best ads of the past seven decades. Dame Carolyn joins Jon to...

What separates an ordinary manager from an extraordinary leader? Psychologist, best-selling author, and former NBA player John Amaechi joins us to explore the qualities that define great leadership in today’s world. From self-awareness and vulnerability to empowering others and giving credit, John shares why intimidation fails, how to harness your personal value proposition, and why leaders must k...

What makes a world-class CMO? In this masterclass, we’re joined by Jane Wakely, CMO of PepsiCo, and Neil Barrie, founder of 21st Century Brands, to explore the strategies that drive growth of billion dollar brands. We discuss why CFO partnerships matter, how to reappraise established brands, and why creativity, whether through celebrity campaigns or a giant Cheetos thumb, still drives results. Plu...

Returning guest and everyone's favourite marketing professor, Mark Ritson, is back. As usual, Mark comes out firing with some no nonsense advice to all marketers. He talks about AI taking over his Mini MBA, leaving Marketing Week, why pricing is the most important P and some rules for creativity. Sit back and soak up the knowledge from Mr Mark Ritson. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 01:06 - Why Mark Rits...

Ella Mills is the co-founder of Deliciously Ella , which began in 2012 as a simple blog sharing healthy recipes. What started online quickly grew into bestselling books, a #1 mobile app, and eventually a retail brand of healthy snacks. In 2024, Deliciously Ella was acquired for an undisclosed sum and today Ella is building her next venture, All   Plants . Her journey is inspiring, and in this epis...

David Gluckman, the man who invented Baileys and author of That S**t Will Never Sell , joins us to share stories from his legendary career in brand creation. From the birth of iconic drinks (including Purdey’s, Aqua Libra, Cîroc and Tanqueray) to lessons on creativity, innovation, and risk-taking, David reflects on what it really takes to bring bold ideas to life. Timestamps 00:22 - The founding s...

Jonny Bauer has helped transform some of the world’s biggest brands, from revitalising Axe (Lynx for UK listeners) at BBH to building strategy from the ground up at Droga5. In this episode, Jonny shares why brand can become a company’s greatest asset, what he learned moving from agencies to private equity at Blackstone, and how to bring brand to the front of the P&L. Plus, how to win CEO buy-i...

Fernando Machado is one of the world’s most celebrated CMOs, known for game-changing campaigns like Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper.” In this episode, Fernando shares the work he’s most proud of, why surprising campaigns cut through, and how creativity drives real business growth. We also discuss the most innovative non-advertising ideas from his career, what it takes to be an influential CMO, and hi...

Matt Pohlson is the co-founder of Omaze, a platform that’s raised over £300m for charity through once-in-a-lifetime prize draws. Matt shares how a life-changing moment shaped his mission, the business model behind giving away luxury homes and cars, and why storytelling and consistent advertising have fuelled Omaze’s success. Plus, the challenges of the founder journey and his advice for aspiring e...

Is Jaguar’s bold rebrand a stroke of genius or marketing madness? We sit down with Rawdon Glover, Managing Director of Jaguar, to unpack the strategy behind one of the most dramatic relaunches in automotive history. From pausing sales to redesigning the brand from the ground up, Rawdon shares how Jaguar is reinventing itself for a younger, electric-first generation and talks about the visceral res...

In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Tyler Bahl, CMO of Activision, to explore what it takes to market some of the world’s most successful games, from Call of Duty to Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Tyler shares insights on launching blockbuster titles, the evolving gaming landscape in 2025, and how livestreaming, esports, and AI are transforming the industry. Plus, lessons from 23 editions of...

In this episode, produced in partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Todd Kaplan, CMO of Kraft Heinz, to uncover the marketing “secret sauce” behind some of the world’s most iconic brands. Todd shares lessons from driving 21 quarters of growth at Pepsi, why simplicity beats complexity in marketing, and how he’s bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to Kraft Heinz. We also dive into working wi...

In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Grainne Wafer, Global Category Director (Beer, Vodka, Liqueurs) at Diageo, to explore how one of the world’s biggest drinks companies drives growth and builds iconic brands. Grainne shares the trends shaping the beverage industry, the transformation of Baileys, and how Diageo manages a portfolio of global powerhouses like Guinness. We also discuss...

To celebrate 200 episodes, Tom Goodwin is back on Uncensored CMO. He's got a pretty strong opinion on the state of advertising. It's broken, and we need to fix it. Tom lays out where he thinks it's all gone wrong for the industry and what we can do about it. As uncensored as ever, Tom brings an entertaining and fresh perspective on marketing. Strap in. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - The state of...

In partnership with NBCUniversal, we sit down with Kory Marchisotto, CMO of e.l.f. Beauty, to unpack a 25 quarters of consecutive growth. From their bold “So Many Dicks” campaign to the $1B Rhode deal with Hailey Bieber, Kory shares how e.l.f. built a culture that fuels growth. We also dive into the power of creators and celebrities in beauty, partnerships with sporting icons like Billie Jean King...

Simon Morris is Adobe’s VP of International Marketing, joins us to share how Adobe is empowering creativity at scale. We discuss the impact of AI on marketing, why creativity will always need human skills, and how Adobe partners with brands like Real Madrid to build iconic campaigns. Simon also shares what makes a great marketing leader today, how to launch products successfully, and what’s next f...

In collaboration with TikTok, System1 have launched a new research paper called " The Long and the Short Form of It ", explaining how brands can navigate and excel in this of this new world of short form content. In this episode I catch up with TikTok's Head of Business Marketing and Partnerships to discuss the research and help brands succeed on the platform. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 02:05 - Sofi...

After 20 unhappy years as a headhunter, it took a near death experience for Sherilyn Shackell to launch The Marketing Academy, a non-profit organisation developing leadership talent in marketing. Launched in 2010, The Marketing Academy now helps marketers become CMOs and CMOs become CEOs. This episode, we focus on exactly how CMOs can get a seat at the table in the boardroom and all the traits the...

In a bonus live episode from Cannes, Professor Scott Galloway joins renowned CMO Kory Marchisotto (e.l.f. Beauty) and advertising legend Rory Sutherland to discuss three big topics: Is brand dead? Are we too risk-averse? And what is the future of the CMO? Timestamps 00:00 - Start 00:26 - Is the era of brand dead? 13:54 - Do we need to make better advertising? 20:11 - How CMOs can approach risk 31:...

Ben Branson is the founder of Seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirit brand he started in 2015, and sold 3 years later to Diageo. Jon speaks to Ben about the origins of the brand, how the grew so fast, what makes Ben such an impressive marketer (despite him not liking marketing) and how a brand goes from 0 to exit in such a short space of time. We also talk about Ben's new brands and his Hidden 20% charit...

The B2B boys Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg return to the podcast for a third time, this time wearing their new distinctive assets. They go hard on Professor Scott Galloway, disagreeing with his "brand is dead" statement, suggesting that not only is brand not dead, it's alive, thriving and you need it for your brand to survive. They also give us an update on their synthetic research company, Evid...