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Abnormal, now in its fourth year of operation, has transitioned from a start-up to a proudly financially independent entity. It’s a shift that is in large part due to the agency’s business model and a small, lean team of multifaceted individuals poised to make the most of every opportunity.
It’s also thanks to a number of new accounts the agency has taken on including Kemtek, Expedient, Flexi Suite & Store, Country Mushrooms and OBC; together with other project-based work. The agency’s other news is its expansion into Cape Town. “Cape Town-based clients have reached a point where they want an agency that is a short drive — and not a flight — away. There has also been an economic shift in Cape Town and we have capitalised on that opportunity,” says Abnormal Group operations director Estilee du Plessis. Du Plessis, together with creative directors Wynand Botha and Michael Neser, agree that the present economy is unlikely to shift any time soon. Though the agency has been fortunate in that its clients have upped their budgets since 2018, this hasn’t been the case for the industry as a whole, where clients are either sticking to the same budgets or, even worse, lowering them or taking their creative in-house.
Botha says as a small agency, the clients serviced by Abnormal Group generally don’t have the capacity for an in-house creative. “This is a strength for us, as it means that our clients trust us to do brave work, which is crucial in a tough environment where standing out from the competition is the best way for brands to grow,” he says. Ultimately, the team believes that the most effective way to adapt to the current business climate is to focus on doing great work with the budgets they have to work with. This is where their business model comes into play.
The team is able to produce breakthrough work on a shoestring budget if they have to — and still turn a profit — because they keep the business lean with sought-after talent who are able to work across disciplines. “At our core lies the great creative idea. Today’s agencies need to be skilled in terms of taking that idea and ensuring that they can make it work in a digital space, without relying on big budget traditional platforms that many clients are no longer able to afford,” says Neser.
Abnormal
The agency’s philosophy is that if you hire the same type of people, you will get the same results.
It is why the team is always on the lookout for individuals who have a diverse skills set — coding, jewellery design, and brand managers who have come across to the agency side, among others. It’s an approach that keeps the business small and hungry and ensures that clients are paying for an outstanding creative who solves a business objective. That said, finding these multiskilled people isn’t easy and the team is happy to train or upskill existing employees when they need to.
Part of the agency’s success in terms of creating stand-out work for its clients is the fact that the team is driven to understand the client’s purpose — the “why” from the outset.
“It’s about collaboration between us and the client, where understanding their strategy and where they want to go is key, enabling us to create strong strategic work that ties into their business objectives,” says Botha. With the agency’s philosophy centring on building brands to be purposely different through design and advertising, this is an agency that believes in encouraging clients to be brave in their approach. Playing it safe just isn’t worth it when you could be saying just one brave thing to stand out, the team agrees.
Abnormal Group
2019 Financial Mail AdFocus profile
Abnormal, now in its fourth year of operation, has transitioned from a start-up to a proudly financially independent entity. It’s a shift that is in large part due to the agency’s business model and a small, lean team of multifaceted individuals poised to make the most of every opportunity.
It’s also thanks to a number of new accounts the agency has taken on including Kemtek, Expedient, Flexi Suite & Store, Country Mushrooms and OBC; together with other project-based work. The agency’s other news is its expansion into Cape Town. “Cape Town-based clients have reached a point where they want an agency that is a short drive — and not a flight — away. There has also been an economic shift in Cape Town and we have capitalised on that opportunity,” says Abnormal Group operations director Estilee du Plessis. Du Plessis, together with creative directors Wynand Botha and Michael Neser, agree that the present economy is unlikely to shift any time soon. Though the agency has been fortunate in that its clients have upped their budgets since 2018, this hasn’t been the case for the industry as a whole, where clients are either sticking to the same budgets or, even worse, lowering them or taking their creative in-house.
Botha says as a small agency, the clients serviced by Abnormal Group generally don’t have the capacity for an in-house creative. “This is a strength for us, as it means that our clients trust us to do brave work, which is crucial in a tough environment where standing out from the competition is the best way for brands to grow,” he says. Ultimately, the team believes that the most effective way to adapt to the current business climate is to focus on doing great work with the budgets they have to work with. This is where their business model comes into play.
The team is able to produce breakthrough work on a shoestring budget if they have to — and still turn a profit — because they keep the business lean with sought-after talent who are able to work across disciplines. “At our core lies the great creative idea. Today’s agencies need to be skilled in terms of taking that idea and ensuring that they can make it work in a digital space, without relying on big budget traditional platforms that many clients are no longer able to afford,” says Neser.
Abnormal
The agency’s philosophy is that if you hire the same type of people, you will get the same results.
It is why the team is always on the lookout for individuals who have a diverse skills set — coding, jewellery design, and brand managers who have come across to the agency side, among others. It’s an approach that keeps the business small and hungry and ensures that clients are paying for an outstanding creative who solves a business objective. That said, finding these multiskilled people isn’t easy and the team is happy to train or upskill existing employees when they need to.
Part of the agency’s success in terms of creating stand-out work for its clients is the fact that the team is driven to understand the client’s purpose — the “why” from the outset.
“It’s about collaboration between us and the client, where understanding their strategy and where they want to go is key, enabling us to create strong strategic work that ties into their business objectives,” says Botha. With the agency’s philosophy centring on building brands to be purposely different through design and advertising, this is an agency that believes in encouraging clients to be brave in their approach. Playing it safe just isn’t worth it when you could be saying just one brave thing to stand out, the team agrees.