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From humble beginnings to one of the most revered agencies in the country — King James has outlived more than one national recession, a global pandemic and the naysayers.
Repeatedly named Most Admired Agency, and now named as the first planned acquisition for Accenture on the African continent, perhaps their reign is just getting started.
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It all began at a cocktail party in 1998, where co-founders Alistair King and James Barty came together as kindred spirits and scribbled down their plans to start an agency of their own, on the bright yellow paper of their employer at the time. From there, they set up shop in a dingy, backroom office in the city centre and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now a creative force to be reckoned with, a 300-strong team of top creative and communication talent and best-in-breed specialists continue to deliver work that is not only iconic but that moves people to action.
From its early days, the agency has been renowned for producing emotive big brand films and, since then, it has continued to build its reputation around idea-led work brought to life in spectacularly memorable ways. From integrated communication campaigns to tech innovations, King James’ c reativ e accolades and equally impressive list of clients continues to impress as does its ability to capture the attention of New York-listed Fortune 500 multinational company, Accenture.
So how did it get here? How does a small agency with little backing and no initial clients emerge from a country neck-deep in established agencies to become one of its most celebrated — in a little over two decades?
Here’s the King James’ version of events: According to King and Barty, it’s all about its people.
From the day the agency opened its doors, the plan was simple: to cram as many talented people into the building as possible and create an environment that would extract as much brilliance out of them as possible, both as individuals and as a collective. Firm in the belief that focusing on attracting and retaining the best talent would produce the best work and attract the best clients, King James’ strategy has certainly paid off.
Having started out as a traditional above-the-line agency, the group has stayed ahead of the curve and remained relevant in an ever-evolving marketing landscape, by adding specialist skills along the way to meet the needs of its growing roster of blue-chip clients. These range from design, PR and content marketing, to digital communication, services and platforms and shopper marketing, and today the agency offers integrated end-to-end marketing communications and tech solutions with a proven track record on brands across a wide range of industries.
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Along the way, it has grown the business organically too. “It ’s the best way of growing because it comes from a strong partnership,” says Taryn Walker, MD at King James Cape Town. “Feeling like we’re on a team achieving big things together is really important. And it is this approach that has enabled us to earn our clients’ trust and build the kind of relationships that last and continue to grow over time, either through new brand wins or doing more for them.”
Executive director of earned media, Lauren Chavez, one of many long-standing leaders in the businesses, has witnessed its evolution over the past 15 years. “We have never been so geared towards seamlessly integrating our specialist skills. Our ability to team together and work in tandem — all with the same goal of making an idea better, bigger and stronger — remains one of our biggest differentiators. It’s one of the pillars of our agency.”
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Lesego Kotane, MD of King James Joburg, concurs. “Building a common ethos and reputation is an art, not a science. It’s one that we’ve been able to translate across our offices, teams and clients. I believe it’s one of the reasons we’ve attracted not only top local brands, but international ones too.”
Of course, with increased growth and global attention, attracting and retaining the best creative talent has never been more important. Executive creative director Devin Kennedy is passionate about ensuring that the group remains true to its roots in this regard.
“The best way to attract top talent is to do work that people admire. And to keep doing it. You have to create something that makes people peek over their agency fences and say: ‘Damn, I want to be part of that’. That’s why, right from the beginning, we’ve set the creative benchmark very high for ourselves and focused on making category breaking and defining work. And we’ve been fortunate to do just that. And we have no intention of stopping anytime soon.”
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Having been with the agency since its early days, Kennedy says it ’s also what keeps them in the building, adding: “It may sound cheesy but King James has a big family feel that’s hard to leave. “But, more importantly, it’s again mostly about the work. If creatives keep getting the opportunity to make great work and make themselves famous, then it’s easier to hang on to them.
“If they feel they’re not doing that anymore, they’ll leave to go look for that somewhere else. In my case (and I’m slightly biased here), there also has to be somewhere better to go. And I haven’t found that place I’d give this up for yet. Also, we have a free bar that’s open every day. So that helps too.”
Touted as one of the most awarded independent agencies in the country, many assumed that King James would remain independent forever, yet King reflects: “The call came in the perfect window.”
Having long admired Accenture Interactive’s business model, King believes the agency has finally met its match: “It ’s the right time, and the right suitor.” “We ’re also thrilled at the prospect that we will get to spearhead Accenture Interactive’s creative presence in Africa,” says Barty. “We have pushed creative boundaries and brand thinking since our inception. Establishing a bigger, more relevant presence has always been on our horizon, and we’re proud to do it in a way that will continue to preserve our ethos, hone our craft, and build on our existing achievements.”
Indeed, despite the many headlines on this landmark deal, the group’s focus remains firmly on what has always made it successful: its work. Recently winning no less than 20 new brands (including Glenfiddich, Danone, Reckitt Benckiser and Engen), the group continues to deliver where it counts. “As we have been saying to our clients, nothing will change and everything will change,” says King.
“We will continue to operate as we always have, with the people we’ve always had. Only now, we will be able to apply Accenture’s capabilities to our existing clients, and our particular style of creative problem-solving to theirs. We’re fully expecting this to take us, our people and our clients, to the next level.”
King James Group SA
2021 Financial Mail AdFocus profile
From humble beginnings to one of the most revered agencies in the country — King James has outlived more than one national recession, a global pandemic and the naysayers.
Repeatedly named Most Admired Agency, and now named as the first planned acquisition for Accenture on the African continent, perhaps their reign is just getting started.
It all began at a cocktail party in 1998, where co-founders Alistair King and James Barty came together as kindred spirits and scribbled down their plans to start an agency of their own, on the bright yellow paper of their employer at the time. From there, they set up shop in a dingy, backroom office in the city centre and the rest, as they say, is history.
Now a creative force to be reckoned with, a 300-strong team of top creative and communication talent and best-in-breed specialists continue to deliver work that is not only iconic but that moves people to action.
From its early days, the agency has been renowned for producing emotive big brand films and, since then, it has continued to build its reputation around idea-led work brought to life in spectacularly memorable ways. From integrated communication campaigns to tech innovations, King James’ c reativ e accolades and equally impressive list of clients continues to impress as does its ability to capture the attention of New York-listed Fortune 500 multinational company, Accenture.
So how did it get here? How does a small agency with little backing and no initial clients emerge from a country neck-deep in established agencies to become one of its most celebrated — in a little over two decades?
Here’s the King James’ version of events: According to King and Barty, it’s all about its people.
From the day the agency opened its doors, the plan was simple: to cram as many talented people into the building as possible and create an environment that would extract as much brilliance out of them as possible, both as individuals and as a collective. Firm in the belief that focusing on attracting and retaining the best talent would produce the best work and attract the best clients, King James’ strategy has certainly paid off.
Having started out as a traditional above-the-line agency, the group has stayed ahead of the curve and remained relevant in an ever-evolving marketing landscape, by adding specialist skills along the way to meet the needs of its growing roster of blue-chip clients. These range from design, PR and content marketing, to digital communication, services and platforms and shopper marketing, and today the agency offers integrated end-to-end marketing communications and tech solutions with a proven track record on brands across a wide range of industries.
Along the way, it has grown the business organically too. “It ’s the best way of growing because it comes from a strong partnership,” says Taryn Walker, MD at King James Cape Town. “Feeling like we’re on a team achieving big things together is really important. And it is this approach that has enabled us to earn our clients’ trust and build the kind of relationships that last and continue to grow over time, either through new brand wins or doing more for them.”
Executive director of earned media, Lauren Chavez, one of many long-standing leaders in the businesses, has witnessed its evolution over the past 15 years. “We have never been so geared towards seamlessly integrating our specialist skills. Our ability to team together and work in tandem — all with the same goal of making an idea better, bigger and stronger — remains one of our biggest differentiators. It’s one of the pillars of our agency.”
Lesego Kotane, MD of King James Joburg, concurs. “Building a common ethos and reputation is an art, not a science. It’s one that we’ve been able to translate across our offices, teams and clients. I believe it’s one of the reasons we’ve attracted not only top local brands, but international ones too.”
Of course, with increased growth and global attention, attracting and retaining the best creative talent has never been more important. Executive creative director Devin Kennedy is passionate about ensuring that the group remains true to its roots in this regard.
“The best way to attract top talent is to do work that people admire. And to keep doing it. You have to create something that makes people peek over their agency fences and say: ‘Damn, I want to be part of that’. That’s why, right from the beginning, we’ve set the creative benchmark very high for ourselves and focused on making category breaking and defining work. And we’ve been fortunate to do just that. And we have no intention of stopping anytime soon.”
Having been with the agency since its early days, Kennedy says it ’s also what keeps them in the building, adding: “It may sound cheesy but King James has a big family feel that’s hard to leave. “But, more importantly, it’s again mostly about the work. If creatives keep getting the opportunity to make great work and make themselves famous, then it’s easier to hang on to them.
“If they feel they’re not doing that anymore, they’ll leave to go look for that somewhere else. In my case (and I’m slightly biased here), there also has to be somewhere better to go. And I haven’t found that place I’d give this up for yet. Also, we have a free bar that’s open every day. So that helps too.”
Touted as one of the most awarded independent agencies in the country, many assumed that King James would remain independent forever, yet King reflects: “The call came in the perfect window.”
Having long admired Accenture Interactive’s business model, King believes the agency has finally met its match: “It ’s the right time, and the right suitor.” “We ’re also thrilled at the prospect that we will get to spearhead Accenture Interactive’s creative presence in Africa,” says Barty. “We have pushed creative boundaries and brand thinking since our inception. Establishing a bigger, more relevant presence has always been on our horizon, and we’re proud to do it in a way that will continue to preserve our ethos, hone our craft, and build on our existing achievements.”
Indeed, despite the many headlines on this landmark deal, the group’s focus remains firmly on what has always made it successful: its work. Recently winning no less than 20 new brands (including Glenfiddich, Danone, Reckitt Benckiser and Engen), the group continues to deliver where it counts. “As we have been saying to our clients, nothing will change and everything will change,” says King.
“We will continue to operate as we always have, with the people we’ve always had. Only now, we will be able to apply Accenture’s capabilities to our existing clients, and our particular style of creative problem-solving to theirs. We’re fully expecting this to take us, our people and our clients, to the next level.”