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What a difference a year and a half makes. On March 11 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the global pandemic, playing havoc with the way we live and move. If two words were to sum up the ensuing period, it would be “pandemic ” and “disruption”.
Built as a radically open creative collective powered by Disruption® since its founding in the 1970s, TBWA\ creates work that seeks to make an impact in culture. Being open to change, and structured around collaboration and creativity, empowers it to embrace the unknown — strategically, and by putting people at the centre of what it does, says group CEO at TBWA\SA Luca Gallarelli. “It’s not just about putting the best people in the room. It’s about creating the best environment for them to be able to access their talents.”
PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE
By embracing the percolation of expertise across the broader group, agencies encourage collaboration between specialist talents. TBWA\SA provides a broad range of services, offered by a collective of specialist agencies: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris (full-service advertising and communications); Grid Worldwide (brand experience and design); Magna Carta (PR and reputation management); Yellowwood (business and marketing strategy consultancy), and Sting Content Production (content production specialists).
BAPTISM BY FIRE
When Gallarelli assumed the role at the end of 2019, long-standing client MTN had been put out to pitch. TBWA\SA took up the challenge to retain the network provider’s business for Omnicom, which they lead locally, while participating in a separate pitch for rival Vodacom. During the final stages of the Vodacom process, they stepped away when they won the MTN account.
“We went straight from retention of the account into producing one of the most impactful campaigns ever deployed by MTN across geographies, “Wear it for Me”.
GROWTH AREAS
TBWA\SA used 2020/2021 as an opportunity to renovate the way it sees itself, hopefully to set the platform on a path for significant growth as we exit the pandemic. Gallarelli says he expects to see about 18% revenue growth across the group with an even higher jump in profit.
“The business benefited from the hard work done last year, retaining MTN, the way we shape ourselves as an organisation, and in continuing to put creativity first in all that we do: we’ve seen these simple ingredients combine to drive our growth.”
Its growth has this year been recognised in the industry through TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris placing as Cannes Lions EMEA Regional Agency of the Decade for 2010-2020 runner-up and EMEA overall Agency of the Year at the WARC Global Purpose Awards, among others.
EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND
Towards the end of 2020, TBWA\ established the Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG), a precision and performance marketing offering created in a coming together of Omnicom Group companies PHD and TBWA\. This union reunites media and creative, while introducing into the mix both data insight and dynamic creative optimisation, creating a potent combination in driving measurable results through digital and social platforms. It has deployed OPMG for the imminent launch of Boma, an independent digital streaming and online streaming platform that piggybacks off MTN technology. For the brand, it has created opportunities across the continent.
GROUPING THINKING
In the past, agencies in the group were loosely pulled together under the TBWA\ banner. Now, they are working harder to operate as a team on the same platform. “To liberate our common values, technologies, platforms and proprietary tooling that we’re rolling out across the group, we are creating additional areas of identity, consistency and commonality.”
TBWA\SA is committed to a “separate yet connected” strategy, because it allows the brand to attract and retain talent in the organisation across the full marketing value chain, from strategy (Yellowwood) to brand origination and experience in Grid, through to communication, data solutions and production. “We believe we have the perfect mix of agencies that cover the full spectrum of what our clients need.” The intention is to offer the very best talent within the industry. As a collective, it can put that talent against client problems in a way that is most appropriate. Gallarelli says no two clients require the same approach, but agencies that are too rigid in how they deploy their resources and capabilities don’t maximise the possibility of what the solution could be and tend to create almost a natural approach to producing work that enters a “sea of sameness”.
a platform for leaders to lead and grow
ACHIEVEMENTS
TBWA\SA’s organisational structure creates a platform for leaders to lead and grow. Numerous individuals across the business are being tapped for leadership roles, not only working in TBWA\ but also industry leadership roles and being acknowledged for their work.
Grid co-CEO David Cohen was recognised as one of 2021’s Ten Best Industry Leaders by Industry Era; TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris chief creative officer Peter Khoury, who won last year’s AdFocus Industry Leader, was awarded the 2021 MarkLives Most Admired Creative Leader; while client Bernice Samuels was the recipient of the AdFocus Lifetime Achiever Award.
Public relations division Magna Carta gave an excellent showing at the Prism Awards in June, taking three Gold and three Bronze Prisms, while TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris continued its award-winning streak by winning the Creative Circle Agency of the Year for the third year in a row — recognition as the number one SA agency across all major global awards shows — a nd TBWA\SA winning the Creative Circle Agency Group of the Year at the Loeries (No 3), as SA Agency at D&AD (No 2) and at the One Show (No 2), and as SA Agency of the Year at Cannes.
Leaders Gallarelli and TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris CEO Karabo Denalane were reappointed this year to the Association for Communication & Advertising board.
We provide a platform for people to thrive in their roles, and for our leaders to act as leaders, and for leaders to lead.
Luca Gallarelli
CREATIVE LICENCE
“The continued creative success is incredibly important as we are a creative business, and we prioritise the product we sell — great thinking — which unquestionably liberates great work,” s ay s Gallarelli.
“As a collective in SA, we haven’t lost sight of the role of creativity in our business and the liberating opportunities for our brands and for our people. We’re an agency collective that continues to prioritise excellence in creativity across all we do.”
Gallarelli says many agencies have, to some extent, lost sight of the creative, as everyone rushes towards ones and zeros and the world of digital. “Data should be the oxygen that we breathe so it fuels us, an enabler of sharper thinking, work and brand experiences; not the thing that we look to sell.”
TBWA\ has worked hard to establish a data practice to offer that capability and insight to its clients, and it’s starting to feel the impact. But as the digital evolution of the business progresses, it will continue to build its data capabilities in line with its values, strategy, and creativity, says Gallarelli.
TRANSFORMATION
TBWA\ is the most integrated communications group in Africa and one of SA’s most transformed. Owned by Omnicom, Phembani and a black staff trust, it has a level 2 BEE rating, with 51% black ownership and 36.47% black women ownership.
This year, Yellowwood MD Refilwe Maluleke was promoted to TBWA\SA Group chief strategy officer while Moliehi Molekoa, MD at Magna Carta, was appointed nonexecutive director and external adviser to agency partner BHM UK.
“We provide a platform for people to thrive in their roles, and for our leaders to act as leaders, and for leaders to lead.” This, Gallarelli says, is not the end point: It is merely the next step in TBWA’s journey.
About TBWA\Worldwide
TBWA is The Disruption® Company. We use creativity to help businesses challenge the status quo and capture an unfair share of the future. Named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2021, 2020 and 2019, and Adweek's 2018 Global Agency of the Year, we are a creative company that uses trademarked Disruption® methodologies to help businesses address their challenges and achieve transformative growth. Our collective has 10,000+ creative minds in 41 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, The Integer Group®, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald's, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).
About TBWA in Africa
Our regional presence expands into 47 countries across 28 agencies with clients including MTN, SPAR, City Lodge, Unicef, P&G and Sasol. TBWA’S pan-regional accounts include MTN. WWith our collective in Africa headquartered in Johannesburg, the South African collective has +500 creative minds across five specialist companies, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Grid Worldwide, Sting Content Production, Yellowwood and Magna Carta. Follow TBWA\South Africa on LinkedIn,Twitter and Instagram.
marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries.
TBWA\The Disruption Company
2021 Financial Mail AdFocus Profile
What a difference a year and a half makes. On March 11 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the global pandemic, playing havoc with the way we live and move. If two words were to sum up the ensuing period, it would be “pandemic ” and “disruption”.
Built as a radically open creative collective powered by Disruption® since its founding in the 1970s, TBWA\ creates work that seeks to make an impact in culture. Being open to change, and structured around collaboration and creativity, empowers it to embrace the unknown — strategically, and by putting people at the centre of what it does, says group CEO at TBWA\SA Luca Gallarelli. “It’s not just about putting the best people in the room. It’s about creating the best environment for them to be able to access their talents.”
PARTNERS IN EXCELLENCE
By embracing the percolation of expertise across the broader group, agencies encourage collaboration between specialist talents. TBWA\SA provides a broad range of services, offered by a collective of specialist agencies: TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris (full-service advertising and communications); Grid Worldwide (brand experience and design); Magna Carta (PR and reputation management); Yellowwood (business and marketing strategy consultancy), and Sting Content Production (content production specialists).
BAPTISM BY FIRE
When Gallarelli assumed the role at the end of 2019, long-standing client MTN had been put out to pitch. TBWA\SA took up the challenge to retain the network provider’s business for Omnicom, which they lead locally, while participating in a separate pitch for rival Vodacom. During the final stages of the Vodacom process, they stepped away when they won the MTN account.
“We went straight from retention of the account into producing one of the most impactful campaigns ever deployed by MTN across geographies, “Wear it for Me”.
GROWTH AREAS
TBWA\SA used 2020/2021 as an opportunity to renovate the way it sees itself, hopefully to set the platform on a path for significant growth as we exit the pandemic. Gallarelli says he expects to see about 18% revenue growth across the group with an even higher jump in profit.
“The business benefited from the hard work done last year, retaining MTN, the way we shape ourselves as an organisation, and in continuing to put creativity first in all that we do: we’ve seen these simple ingredients combine to drive our growth.”
Its growth has this year been recognised in the industry through TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris placing as Cannes Lions EMEA Regional Agency of the Decade for 2010-2020 runner-up and EMEA overall Agency of the Year at the WARC Global Purpose Awards, among others.
EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND
Towards the end of 2020, TBWA\ established the Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG), a precision and performance marketing offering created in a coming together of Omnicom Group companies PHD and TBWA\. This union reunites media and creative, while introducing into the mix both data insight and dynamic creative optimisation, creating a potent combination in driving measurable results through digital and social platforms. It has deployed OPMG for the imminent launch of Boma, an independent digital streaming and online streaming platform that piggybacks off MTN technology. For the brand, it has created opportunities across the continent.
GROUPING THINKING
In the past, agencies in the group were loosely pulled together under the TBWA\ banner. Now, they are working harder to operate as a team on the same platform. “To liberate our common values, technologies, platforms and proprietary tooling that we’re rolling out across the group, we are creating additional areas of identity, consistency and commonality.”
TBWA\SA is committed to a “separate yet connected” strategy, because it allows the brand to attract and retain talent in the organisation across the full marketing value chain, from strategy (Yellowwood) to brand origination and experience in Grid, through to communication, data solutions and production. “We believe we have the perfect mix of agencies that cover the full spectrum of what our clients need.” The intention is to offer the very best talent within the industry. As a collective, it can put that talent against client problems in a way that is most appropriate. Gallarelli says no two clients require the same approach, but agencies that are too rigid in how they deploy their resources and capabilities don’t maximise the possibility of what the solution could be and tend to create almost a natural approach to producing work that enters a “sea of sameness”.
ACHIEVEMENTS
TBWA\SA’s organisational structure creates a platform for leaders to lead and grow. Numerous individuals across the business are being tapped for leadership roles, not only working in TBWA\ but also industry leadership roles and being acknowledged for their work.
Grid co-CEO David Cohen was recognised as one of 2021’s Ten Best Industry Leaders by Industry Era; TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris chief creative officer Peter Khoury, who won last year’s AdFocus Industry Leader, was awarded the 2021 MarkLives Most Admired Creative Leader; while client Bernice Samuels was the recipient of the AdFocus Lifetime Achiever Award.
Public relations division Magna Carta gave an excellent showing at the Prism Awards in June, taking three Gold and three Bronze Prisms, while TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris continued its award-winning streak by winning the Creative Circle Agency of the Year for the third year in a row — recognition as the number one SA agency across all major global awards shows — a nd TBWA\SA winning the Creative Circle Agency Group of the Year at the Loeries (No 3), as SA Agency at D&AD (No 2) and at the One Show (No 2), and as SA Agency of the Year at Cannes.
Leaders Gallarelli and TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris CEO Karabo Denalane were reappointed this year to the Association for Communication & Advertising board.
CREATIVE LICENCE
“The continued creative success is incredibly important as we are a creative business, and we prioritise the product we sell — great thinking — which unquestionably liberates great work,” s ay s Gallarelli.
“As a collective in SA, we haven’t lost sight of the role of creativity in our business and the liberating opportunities for our brands and for our people. We’re an agency collective that continues to prioritise excellence in creativity across all we do.”
Gallarelli says many agencies have, to some extent, lost sight of the creative, as everyone rushes towards ones and zeros and the world of digital. “Data should be the oxygen that we breathe so it fuels us, an enabler of sharper thinking, work and brand experiences; not the thing that we look to sell.”
TBWA\ has worked hard to establish a data practice to offer that capability and insight to its clients, and it’s starting to feel the impact. But as the digital evolution of the business progresses, it will continue to build its data capabilities in line with its values, strategy, and creativity, says Gallarelli.
TRANSFORMATION
TBWA\ is the most integrated communications group in Africa and one of SA’s most transformed. Owned by Omnicom, Phembani and a black staff trust, it has a level 2 BEE rating, with 51% black ownership and 36.47% black women ownership.
This year, Yellowwood MD Refilwe Maluleke was promoted to TBWA\SA Group chief strategy officer while Moliehi Molekoa, MD at Magna Carta, was appointed nonexecutive director and external adviser to agency partner BHM UK.
“We provide a platform for people to thrive in their roles, and for our leaders to act as leaders, and for leaders to lead.” This, Gallarelli says, is not the end point: It is merely the next step in TBWA’s journey.
About TBWA\Worldwide
TBWA is The Disruption® Company. We use creativity to help businesses challenge the status quo and capture an unfair share of the future. Named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2021, 2020 and 2019, and Adweek's 2018 Global Agency of the Year, we are a creative company that uses trademarked Disruption® methodologies to help businesses address their challenges and achieve transformative growth. Our collective has 10,000+ creative minds in 41 countries, and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, GMR, The Integer Group®, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, TBWA\WorldHealth and TRO. Global clients include adidas, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, Hilton Hotels, McDonald's, Nissan and Singapore Airlines. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. TBWA is part of Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC).
About TBWA in Africa
Our regional presence expands into 47 countries across 28 agencies with clients including MTN, SPAR, City Lodge, Unicef, P&G and Sasol. TBWA’S pan-regional accounts include MTN. WWith our collective in Africa headquartered in Johannesburg, the South African collective has +500 creative minds across five specialist companies, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Grid Worldwide, Sting Content Production, Yellowwood and Magna Carta. Follow TBWA\South Africa on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global
marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries.
Contact
Ntombi Malaza (she/her)
Head of Brand, TBWA\South Africa
+27 11 322 3215
ntombi.malaza@tbwa.co.za