New Agency Model – the future?

Afternoon,

We were speaking with an old friend today about the new agency model that is beginning to make a few noises in the fair old isle of Ireland.

It’s simple. It works and it’s an Opportunity for Flagship!

Here’s the site; http://boysandgirlsagency.wordpress.com/

Here’s what they say:

“Boys and Girls is Ireland’s newest creative agency. Founded by four boys and two girls with over 80 years experience working across every major sector, we have worked on practically every one of Ireland’s Top 50 brands. We offer a full range of creative and strategic services from advertising concepts through to market research and consumer insight planning.”

Boys and Girls  includes five former McConnells directors amongst its six founders and Rory Hamilton, who is responsible for the creative output of the agency, and has worked at Euro RSCG, Ogilvy & Mather, Irish International and McCann Erickson.

It’s headed up by managing partner Pat Stephenson, who was deputy managing director at McConnells until September 2009. We were lucky enough to hear Pat explain the Boys and Girls “way”.

The Model. What is it?

Well, currently, they have all in all 7 people in the office; planners, account executives, researcher, M.D, secretary and a creative director.

So, no art and copy type creatives?

Stephenson explained that rather than incurring huge expenses by maintaining one creative department in the agency they opted for spending an arduous couple of months compiling a bible of names, number and details of every possible creative job that could be referenced to outsource to talented and well regarded free-lancers.

Sounds F’n genius to us; minimal overheads matched with 6 hugely experienced people and access to senior people leads to greater efficiencies and better work. Especially in a recession.

It also gives all the rookie creatives a shot at the big time instead of keeping the one trusty (Dusty) Art and Copy team on the payroll.

It’s a new concept in Ireland anyway, and we love it. A creative agency with just one creative heading up the creative department; the creative director.

Wonder if the model will catch on? Apparently these big corporation types are all about saving the pennies. So we reckon it could.

Interesting change in the industry though.

Keep an eye out for these guys (and girls)

Flagship