Cannes-Shortlisted Georgian Agency Playmakers Joins ICOM Network

Press

ICOM, the global network of independent advertising and marketing communication agencies, welcomes Playmakers, an independent creative agency based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Georgia is a small market with more than its share of creative talent, and its work is being noticed well beyond the country’s borders. Playmakers is part of the generation behind that.

The agency’s film “Birds Never Forget to Fly”, made for pharmacy company PSP to mark Georgia’s Independence Day, is the first commercial directed from jail starring an imprisoned actor. It follows a young woman who buys caged birds at a market and sets them free. The film won the overall Grand Prix at ADCE in 2025 and a Grand Prix at KIAF, earned Silver and Bronze recognition at the Clios, and this year was shortlisted for a Titanium Lion, a Glass Lion for Change, and Film at Cannes Lions.

Playmakers is led by four founding partners, Nuka Shevardnadze, Mariam Lortkipanidze, Koka Kamushadze and Gio Frangishvili, who all worked on the client side before starting the agency. Today they work with some of Georgia’s biggest companies.

Last year, an ICOM member shared one of Playmakers’ campaigns with Emma Keenan, ICOM’s President and CEO. In June, Levan Lepsveridze, one of Georgia’s best-known creatives, introduced her to the founders at Cannes.

“When I met the founders in Cannes, they had exactly the attitude we look for: ambition, curiosity, and the talent to back it up,” said Keenan. “They came to us wanting to learn from agency owners who have grown their businesses. Our members will get just as much back from a team that people in Georgia see as the next generation.”

Leon Dominitz, ICOM Regional Board Director for Europe and founding partner of ICOM member agency BrandGalaxy Group in Germany, added: “Playmakers’ second place in the Art Directors Club of Europe’s 2025 agency ranking speaks for itself. At our EMEA regional meeting in Istanbul, Nuka and Mari showed the openness and energy that make collaboration work. They bring creative courage to our region, and I look forward to connecting them with fellow ICOM agencies to create great work together for our clients.”

We want our work and our business to grow beyond Georgia.

“We spent years on the client side, so we know what a good agency partner is worth,” said Nuka Shevardnadze, co-founder of Playmakers. “We want our work and our business to grow beyond Georgia. In ICOM we’ve found agency owners who have done exactly that and are happy to talk openly about how. We’re here to learn from them, and to bring our own ideas to the table.”

With Playmakers now on board, ICOM gains another strong creative voice in a global network of independent agencies that create for leading brands and grow together.

About ICOM

ICOM is the global network of independent advertising and marketing communication agencies, connecting more than 70 agencies across 50 countries. ICOM’s mission is to create opportunities for growth by fostering collaboration, innovation, and shared expertise among its members. Together, ICOM agencies deliver world-class creative and strategic solutions while maintaining their independence, contributing to a dynamic network that celebrates diversity, adaptability, and excellence.

About Playmakers

PLAYMAKERS is an independent boutique creative agency based in Tbilisi, Georgia, founded in 2023 by four professionals with extensive experience in marketing, branding and communications.

Driven by the belief that great creativity should understand business, challenge conventions and make an impact beyond advertising, PLAYMAKERS helps brands achieve business goals through bold ideas and strategic thinking.

The agency’s team consists of 13 professionals, covering four key areas: strategy, creative campaigns, visual branding and events.

In just three years, the agency has earned more than 50 international creative awards, including the ADCE Grand Prix and European Star Special Prize, alongside recognition at The One Show, Clio Awards, Epica Awards and Cannes Lions.

For More Information:

Emma Keenan, ICOM President & CEO

[email protected] | +33 6 63 48 01 37

Elaine Miller, Global Operations Director

[email protected] | +44 7725 410 436