The Nomad S5: Anne Cotte
Anne Cotte, Senior Strategist at Lucky Generals, is always ready to explore new possibilities
Anne Cotte, born in Mexico and raised in Montreal, has lived and worked across the globe. She moved to Melbourne, pursued a master's degree in Milan, gained experience in Ireland, and now calls the UK home. She is a true global citizen.
“Because I moved quite a lot, naturally I'm often quite out of my comfort zone which has somewhat taught me how to be comfortable with unstableness,” she says.
She isn’t one to be afraid of getting out of her comfort zone. In fact, it helps her grow. “Fear and instability are quite good, especially in this job. When you feel too comfortable about a place you're in or about a brief or a topic, it is probably because you're not doing something interesting or pushing it enough. It’s about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone—reaching out to new people, exploring different ideas, and trying new things.”
Currently a senior strategist at Lucky Generals who has been working on the likes of Co-op Funeralcare, Birra Moretti and GambleAware, Cotte started her career with an internship at a branding agency in Milan where she learned to embrace the ‘good messiness’ of strategy. “It was all about being creative and exploring every possibility before narrowing things down,” she notes.
She attributes her knowledge and craft to her globetrotting. “Each move has shaped me in some way. After my internship in Milan, I got my first junior strategist role [at TBWA Dublin] in Ireland. It’s a smaller market, so I got a lot of responsibility early on, which was great because I really learned by doing. Moving to London was a whole new experience—it’s such a hub of amazing strategists. I’ve learned so much here from so many brilliant people. London has this balance of being super rigorous in planning but also really creative, and that’s helped me refine my own approach.”
While moving around has not always been easy, it has been an advantage in her career and has given her a unique perspective that’s been nothing short of valuable.
What have you been up to?
Apart from work, I've been taking Turkish classes for almost a year now. My boyfriend is Turkish and we’re both learning each other’s language.
It’s like going back to being a kid in a way, like you're learning about colours, you're learning about very basic concepts and it just helps in a way to stop thinking about a lot of big things, but also it makes your brain work quite a lot, so I really enjoy it.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
I'm quite attentive to details. Part of it is because I moved quite a lot. When I moved places, I needed to observe a lot of things and because of that, I noticed little details and things that perhaps not everyone did. Even with friends, often people are quite surprised when I remember their friend's cousin's name three weeks or a month later.
Another trait is warmth—I think I come across as a warm and positive person. And then I’m quite sensitive. When I encounter something I connect with, like even a book or a movie, I can feel deeply absorbed and emotional about it.
Do you think that being attentive to details helps with being a good strategist?
I think so. It can help in many ways. I think it allows me to observe behaviours, recognise patterns and absorb information effectively. But I would say it can also negatively affect me. A big part of strategy is simplifying complex ideas, and sometimes I can struggle to let go of smaller details that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Born in Mexico, grew up in Montreal, moved to Melbourne, did a master's degree in Milan, previously worked in Ireland and now working and living in the UK, you are a true global citizen or a nomad. How do you reflect on your career so far professionally?
Actually, it often makes me slightly uncomfortable - the fact that I've moved a lot. When people ask me, "Where are you from?" it often turns into a complicated explanation. I might start with, “France,” but then they ask, “Oh, where in France did you grow up?” and I say, “Actually, I grew up in Canada.” Then they assume I was born in France, and I have to clarify, “No, I was born in Mexico.” So it becomes this whole thing where I have to explain everything and in some ways, I wonder Is it weird?
But it brought me a lot professionally. Moving to different places forces you out of your comfort zone and compels you to absorb new environments quickly—something that’s invaluable as a strategist. I think it’s easy to assume that your audience will share your perspective if you’re from the same country. I’ve never had that assumption because I know the people I’m creating campaigns for will likely have very different experiences and mindsets. It opens up a different way of thinking, I guess.
What is your favourite piece of work and why?
I’d say one of my all-time favourites is probably Think Small by Volkswagen. It’s such an iconic campaign. The simplicity of it is what really stands out—one clear, bold message delivered in such a provocative way. When you think about the context, it was the U.S. in an era of giant cars and peak maximalism, and here’s Volkswagen saying, “Small is good.” They embraced their difference instead of trying to hide it, and I think that’s so simple, so impactful. What’s even more impressive is how brave that message must have been at the time.
Sometimes these days we struggle to convey really simple messages and ideas. There are always multiple things that we need to say; there’s a lot of research as well which can sometimes dilute the provocative nature of an idea. This ad had such an interesting point of view, took a leap and it worked. I’m pretty sure when, or even if they even researched it, they had some bad feedback from some people but they still went with it.
More recently, I’ve loved all the work that Bodyform has done in the UK about period stigma. You can tell they’ve really listened to people’s stories and channelled them into something both insightful and nuanced.
What I love most is how relatable and universal the work feels. It’s not just for people in the industry—it’s for everyone. I’ve shown it to friends and family, and they loved it. Often, female-led campaigns about female health can feel like they’re speaking solely to women, but this one managed to make everyone empathise and understand what it’s like.
You said that you are a true believer in luck and that we can provoke luck by—I really like that way of thinking. Please can you elaborate on this?
Obviously, there’s an element of luck in life. I’m lucky to have been born into a really nice family, had access to a good education, and even the fact that I grew up abroad.
But I think what’s interesting is how you can provoke that luck again. It’s not just about what you’re given; it’s about determination and being proactive. You’ve got to constantly seek out places and opportunities that excite you, that will teach you something new, or that align with what you want to bring to the table.
Even within your work, there’s room to be proactive. If there’s a brief you find interesting or an idea that makes sense for a brand, but it’s not something they’ve specifically asked for, you can still bring it up to the table and say, I feel like there's a really interesting opportunity in that. It might unlock something that will then create a project that you're going to be proud of and it's also gonna help you in your career as well.
You are a fan of taking risks and breaking conventions; your career is proof of that—you sent cold emails to so many agencies around the world and got the job at TBWA Dublin. What is your advice for those who would like to go global with a career in advertising and the creative industry?
You really have to push yourself out of your comfort zone—especially when you’re looking for that first job. Honestly, it’s tough right now. With everything that’s happened—the pandemic, cost of living crisis—it’s harder than ever to break in, especially as a strategist.
My advice would be to think creatively about how you approach people and opportunities. Start with places that inspire you. Look at the work they’re doing and the people working there. Both of those things matter.
When it comes to reaching out, LinkedIn messages can work, but let’s be honest, people get so many of them. You might need to think outside the box a bit. I know someone who dressed up as a DHL driver to deliver their CV—that’s pretty bold, right? It’s about making people stop and think, “This person is interesting.”
One more thing—don’t feel like you have to fit some strategy mould. It’s easy to think, “Oh, planners will want to hire someone who has read this sociology book or listen to that podcast about strategy,” but honestly, that’s not what’s going to make you stand out. What makes you different as a person is what’s interesting. If you’re into science fiction or have a random niche interest, talk about that. It shows personality and makes you memorable.
Which creative campaign has caught your attention recently and why?
I actually liked Nike's recent campaign, ‘Winning Isn’t for Everyone’/‘Am I a Bad Person?’ I felt like Nike had lost its way a bit in the past few years, trying to appeal to everyone and, in doing so, losing some of the edge that made it so interesting. Meanwhile, newer, niche brands like On or Hoka have been making waves in the running space by being more focused and specific.
This campaign felt like Nike saying, ‘Actually, we’re for people who have grit, who want to win.’ The lines, ‘Winning isn’t for everyone’ and ‘Am I a bad person?’ are provocative. They acknowledge that winning often requires being selfish—and they embrace that, rather than leaning into the overly positive, ‘everyone’s happy’ messaging we see so much of these days. It doesn’t appeal to everyone, and that’s what makes it so powerful and interesting.
The execution itself felt a little familiar—classic Nike shots and style—but the message was what stood out. It’s such an interesting move to take a strong point of view like this, and I’m excited to see if they’ll build on it with future campaigns.
How do you approach innovation and technology? Are there any tips for strategists to use AI and leverage its implications?
I really like to look at different ways we can embrace tools—technology-wise and AI-wise—because it’s so impressive what we can do with them. I also follow Zoe Scaman on LinkedIn and Twitter; she always posts interesting stuff. She’s so cool and thought-provoking. The things she shares often make me think differently about brands and communities, which is inspiring.
In my day-to-day work, I use ChatGPT quite a lot. As a strategist, what I find interesting about it is that it’s almost like a starting point. If you put your brief into ChatGPT, the answer it gives you is usually what not to do. It’s pulling together everything out there and simplifying it, so the response will often reflect what’s already been done. That’s where it gets useful—you can take that and ask yourself: What can we do that’s more interesting? How can we flip this on its head? Is there a different way into the issue? It’s a great way to push your thinking.
It’s also handy when you need specific stats or research to support a point—it can quickly point you in the right direction. With tools like MidJourney, I’ve used it to visualise concepts or ideas, which is helpful. But I’ve found it tricky when it comes to research stimulus—it can look so close to an idea that people in research think it's the idea but it doesn't have any creative treatment.
For anyone starting out, I’d say: experiment with everything. Try all the tools and figure out your own point of view. Chat GPT is incredibly powerful, but it’s not about just taking its answers and running with them. The real value is in using it to expand what you know and to find new ways forward.
What are you looking forward to in 2025?
Lots of things, actually! Professionally, I think 2025 is going to be a really exciting year for me and for Lucky Generals. We’ve just welcomed two new leadership hires—a Chief Strategy Officer and a Chief Creative Officer—who joined a few weeks ago and have some big ambitions. We also have some interesting briefs on the table, so I’m looking forward to pushing our work further and exploring new possibilities.
On a personal level, I have quite a few goals I’m excited about. I’m optimistic—it’s shaping up to be a good year all around!
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“The Nomad” is a fortnightly published series where I talk to expats who work in the creative industry, then delve into the insights which inform and help other people to live or to do business in an intercultural world