by Every Ad Agency (@EveryAdAgency) We believe the traditional ‘office’ to be much like print, radio, TV, outdoor advertising, digital, and street poles — dead.
In the ever-changing advertising landscape, Every Ad Agency always aims to be at the forefront in everything, including our office layout. We’ve managed to create an open-plan office environment that promotes synergy and collaboration while also encouraging creativity and free thinking.
No sense of hierarchy
First, we’ve removed offices completely. With this ancient concept destroyed, we’ve also managed to make sure there’s absolutely no sense of hierarchy, with the managing director enjoying her morning coffee next to the graphic design intern.
At Every Ad Agency, we are firm believers in the idea of forced integration. Nobody likes change but they adapt to it easily when put in an unknown scenario.
We do this by breaking down any departmental barriers: with us, there’s no such thing as creative, client service, or digital. We believe in ideanovation hubs where it’s possible for the CEO, traffic manager and the copywriter to form a team — some of our best ideas have come from the partnership of receptionist and digital strategist!
Complete transparency
What our officeless space also brings to the fore is complete transparency: being able to hear how much the account manager wants to date her crossfit trainer leads to invaluable, on-the-spot, real-time insights that can immediately be turned into creative ideas.
We also encourage constructive open conflict, which is made possible with the copywriter shouting expletives across the entire office to the senior accounts director about the client-approved headline. We then proceed to get the whole agency involved in coming up with a resolution, which not only betters personal relationships but our teamwork as a whole.
Any agency space needs to impress clients when they arrive. For this sole purpose, we have the Fun Basement. In here, we proceed to stash all the items we will never normally allow during a normal day, but have no hesitance in bringing out for visiting clients.
Work-hard/play-hard
Such items include the strategically placed ping-pong table, close to our entrance, that portrays a work-hard/play-hard mentality.
Another essential is easy-to-apply decals of words such as “CREATIVITY”, “IDEAS”, and “MAGIC”. These are big with clients, as they really, really, really like to know that their agency can be creative.
As you can see, while the open-plan office environment might seem daunting, if you really put your mind to it, it’s simple.
We are Every Ad Agency (@EveryAdAgency). You’ve either worked for us, with us or against us. What’s more, we make every advertising and marketing cliché work. Headquartered in Johannesburg; branches everywhere.
All these satirical “Bad ADvice” columns, which are exclusive to MarkLives, are written by the Chief Operating Creative Director in Charge of Ideas (COCDCI).
— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every Monday and Thursday. Sign up here!