halloffamefame
Welcome to our Hall of Fame. Each inductee has made an indelible mark on the company we keep.
As the first ever inductee into the 7 Communications Hall of Fame, this post was easy to write because of the legacy he left as one of the company’s most longstanding employees, yet difficult as his departure from full-time employment here leaves a void that will not soon be replaced.
For a guy who grew up in a sports household, where his dad was a journalist and sportswriter, the role he leaves us for is very special. Raised in the Jordan era, he played street ball growing up and used basketball as a tool to forge lifelong skills and friendships. He later went on to play for various regional leagues, filled with former NCAA and collegiate players. Basketball is clearly in his blood so when he told us he had been offered the opportunity to become the Creative Director for that guy that runs Giants of Africa, we would have been disappointed if he didn’t accept. Of course, it’s a loss for us, but opportunities like this you simply don’t refuse.
He told us long ago that he would never leave us for another agency job. To him, he had found his family here — and you don’t leave family. But to some, this opportunity is the equivalent of being invited to be a representative to the UN. It’s in another stratosphere where his trajectory will continue, and we could not be prouder of him.
It’s honestly hard to get upset at Anwar getting scouted. Of course he’s talented or he wouldn’t have been our Creative Director for most of the last decade. He is endowed with a deep well of experience in all aspects of the brand-building and story-telling process. As commander in chief of the creative team, he created calm in chaos and is as loyal as they come.
More importantly, he is quite simply one of the best humans we know. There is something about his demeanour that people gravitate toward. Anyone that has met him feels the same way. He listens more than he speaks. He absorbs all he hears and he delivers excellence for his team and clients—every day.
He initially joined 7 Communications in 2013 and he was appointed Creative Director shortly after. Prior to acquiring our 5-tool player, he was the Lead Designer at Sony Music Canada. While there, he designed artwork for some of the world’s leading musical artists—a collection that included P!nk, Bedouin Soundclash, One Direction, Celine Dion and Leonard Cohen—helping each to connect and engage with their audiences.
Anwar’s design experience with us was vast—including projects within retail, construction, real estate, software, financial services and automotive.
We are thankful for his commitment and his offer to continue to consult on future digital design projects—to which we didn't hesitate to say yes. If we had a golden key, it would be his to use, but instead we prefer to simply call him part of our family—for life.
Authenticity can come from anywhere, and our second inductee into the 7 Communications Hall of Fame was as unique and authentic as they come.
Born into a family of eight, Beckett was adopted and joined the 7 Communications team at just 7 weeks of age. Some might call him a child prodigy, but he was recognized for his star quality and animal magnetism, early on. So much so that he was promoted to Director of Fun for the company after just a few years.
Taking his cheering and merry-making role very seriously, he brought joy every day. When at the office, he could most often be found getting his daily work done from his down-filled workstation; hanging out in the kitchen imploring colleagues to feed him; or greeting new guests with a sense of enthusiasm that only someone with his credentials was able to. When in-field, he was granted the autonomy to sniff out opportunities in a way no other teammates ever would.
Remembered for stealing the chair you were sitting in, he never saw a camera he didn’t love and was known as a quiet but confident bacon aficionado. He was also the most loyal employee you could ever meet. Beckett only ever worked for 7 Communications during his career, and in spite of being on staff for over 11 years, he never worked a single billable hour.
Not everyone though was used to being in such close company with an employee of his stature. In advance of his induction ceremony, a story was shared by our first ever inductee that illustrates Beckett’s ability to overcome objections like no one else. The story went something like this…
“On my very first day at the company, I opened the door and walked in and there’s a dog quickly bearing down on me. One of my new teammates who I already knew came to greet me and without even saying hello, my first words to him were ‘dude, you never told me there is a dog?!’ He replies, ‘oh yeah, there is a dog, his name is Beckett.’
I won’t lie. I wasn’t a dog guy but as that day and each subsequent day passed, he never left my side. Always sitting right by me, he would peacefully just look at me with his classic trademark head tilt. If he could talk I’m sure he would have said ‘just pet me, you jackass.’
I never thought I’d ever have a pet but in the years that followed, he was the reason we have a pet in our house. My kids thank me (and Beckett) every day."
He will forever be remembered as our first ever Director of Fun, best friend to so many and our second inductee into our Hall of Fame.
