by Herman Manson (@marklives) A new Durban based agency, Conversation LAB, launched August 1 after three TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris staffers broke away to go it alone, has successfully been picking up a number of new client accounts.
Founders Kevin Power, Tamerin Borland and Jonathan Oliff have also signed up Brighton, UK, based creative director Christian Anstice. Anstice continues to work from Brighton using technology to collaborate with his new colleagues (he already oversaw a photo shoot done in SA from his office in Brighton without any hick-ups says Power).
Power was Head of Client Service and Digital at TBWA and before that served a stint in London as Brand Director for Publicis Modem London. Borland was a Strategic Planner at TBWA and Oliff Digital Account Executive at the same firm. All four has strong backgrounds in digital.
Yet Conversation LAB isn’t positioning itself as a digital agency – instead it is aiming to build on through-the-line thinking with a strong digital influence. The agency also promises to be strategically lead and media agnostic and has brought on board an interesting collective around the core team to assist it in cracking client problems.
Thinking creative directors or copywriters can solve modern business problems is naive, says Power, and agencies need to bring different and refreshing thinking to the table. This is where the Conversation LAB collective steps in, members include architect John Royal (who brings a unique perspective on physical spaces and human behaviour and needs says Power), UX designer Simon Villet and illustrator Olivia Villet, amongst others. The team lives and works in places as diverse as Durban, London, Cape Town and NY. Having access to the talents of the Conversation LAB collective on a freelance basis also keeps costs low at the agency says Power.
Power says agencies need to be moving away from creating advertising for products and take up a brand utility approach which turns advertising into a service. Power, who has built up a lot of international experience, says few South African agencies are moving fast enough to keep up with the momentum of changes in the marketplace.
The new agency aims to be agile and produce work quickly and of a high standard.
Launched with no clients in August Conversation LAB has already found success in signing up new business. It won the social media and digital strategy business from Compendium Insurance group as well as the through-the-line accounts of international fashion brands Beaver Canoe (with 70 stores in South Africa and Botswana) and Style (with 50 stores in Namibia and Botswana).
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