THE FANTASY NETWORK: In a world where creativity ruled and there were no conflicts, these shops would comprise Campaign’s dream network Tracey Taylor explains why.

First we ask that you suspend your disbelief. When assembling the

world’s premier advertising agency network, there is a modicum of

fantasy involved.

When planning his or her global powerhouse, a holding company chief in

the real world would need to take into consideration a number of issues

that do not apply here. There are no client conflicts to resolve, no

competitors snapping up your first choices, no diplomatic hurdles or

personal politics to overcome.

Campaign gave itself absolute carte blanche to assemble a group of

agencies that would be the best of the very best.

But in creating a dream network, we did establish some ground-rules.

We were looking first for outstanding creativity. The agencies selected

have all proven themselves creatively and can boast proud clients, a

stunning credentials reel and more advertising trophies than they know

what to do with.

While creative brilliance was paramount, we were wary of selecting

start-ups that might disappear off the radar screen within a couple of

years.

There is always the risk that a hot young independent agency will be

swallowed up by a bigger fish and lose its identity and key talent as a

result.

In one case we were prepared to make an exception. The Netherlands has

seen the launch of several top-notch agencies over the past few years,

making it difficult to choose just one for our network. Our eventual

choice, the uncompromisingly creative KesselsKramer, was voted agency of

the year in 1999 by both the country’s leading advertising magazines and

its key advertisers.

Mostly we wanted agencies with proven pedigree. We were also seeking

successful businesses. Long gone are the days when advertising agencies

could hide abysmal profit margins behind a facade of hype and

pseudo-glamour.

Choosing a single agency to cover the entire Asia Pacific region may

seem cavalier. Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO/The Hub and J.

Walter Thompson are all putting in commendable performances in

individual Asian markets. But, once we had decided to opt for regional

strength, it is difficult to argue with Ogilvy & Mather.

The firmly entrenched network is winning creative awards, it has a solid

management set-up and its regional president, Miles Young, is leaving

rivals in his dust-trail with his boundless enthusiasm.

It may come as no surprise that Omnicom-owned agencies account for five

of the 13 in Campaign’s dream network - two DDB shops, two which carry

the TBWA name and one the BBDO moniker. Omnicom’s chief, John Wren, has

reason to be proud both of his real network and his contribution to

Campaign’s fantasy one.

Another less significant fact is BMW’s presence on three of the selected

agencies’ client lists. Is this the sign of a particularly brave and

innovative client or mere coincidence?

We don’t claim to have found the perfect network model. We fully expect

people to disagree with our choices. Indeed we look forward to hearing

readers’ own nominations. But we have a start and, sometimes, it’s good

to dream.

SCANDINAVIA

Name: Forsman & Bodenfors

Headquarters: Gothenburg

Founded: 1986

Founders: Sven-Olof Bodenfors, Staffan Forsman, Mikko Timmonen

Key people:

Chief executive: Sven-Olof Bodenfors

Creative directors: Filip Nilsson, Staffan Forsman

Income: dollars 8.4 million

Rank: 3

Key clients: Volvo, Ikea, SCA Hygiene Products

Forsman & Bodenfors has become synonymous with two of Sweden’s

best-known exports, Volvo and Ikea, for which it continues to produce

outstanding work. It proved it can beat the best of them in January when

it won SCA against the likes of AMV, Lowes and BBH and it has been

turning away suitors for the best part of its 13-year history.

UK

Name: BMP DDB

Headquarters: London

Founded: 1968

Founders: Martin Boase, Stanley Pollitt, Gabe Massimi

Key people:

Group chairman: James Best

Chairman: Chris Powell

Creative director: Larry Barker

Billings: dollars 593 million

Rank: 2

Key clients: American Airlines, Barclaycard, British Gas, Meat and

Livestock Commission, Nicorette, ONdigital, Reuters, Scoot, Vodafone,

Volkswagen

BMP is a blueprint for consistency - both in its approach to the

business of advertising and in its pool of first-rate talent. Its

perennial ability to combine excellent creative work with top-notch

account planning and handling sets it up as the agency to beat year in,

year out in its home market.

THE NETHERLANDS

Name: KesselsKramer

Headquarters: Amsterdam

Founded: 1996

Founders: Erik Kessels, Johan Kramer

Key people:

Chairman/creative directors: Erik Kessels, Johan Kramer

Income: dollars 4.3 million

Rank: 36

Key clients: Audi, Heineken, Levi’s, Het Parool, Hans Brinker Budget

Hotel, Ben

Although barely out of nappies, KesselsKramer has won the vote of Dutch

advertisers, and the country’s two leading trade titles, which both

named it agency of the year for 1998. Its uncompromising attitude to

creativity has already won over blue-chip clients such as Audi, Levi’s

and Heineken.

GERMANY

Name: Jung von Matt

Headquarters: Hamburg

Founded: 1991

Founders: Holger Jung, Jean-Remy von Matt

Key people:

Chairmen: Holger Jung, Jean-Remy von Matt

General manager: Peter John Mahrenholz

Executive creative directors:

Hermann Waterkamp, Deneke von Weltzien, Stefan Zschaler

Billings: dollars 180 million

Rank: 22

Key clients: BMW, Axel Springer, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Post, Sixt,

Handelsblatt, Wella

Germany has traditionally been a two-horse race for best agency. But

although Springer & Jacoby has pedigree, clout and sound creative

credentials, Jung von Matt has the edge on sheer chutzpah in the

creative department. No longer a hotshop but an established network with

international affiliations, the Hamburger goes from strength to

strength.

SPAIN

Name: Vitruvio Leo Burnett

Headquarters: Madrid

Founded: Leo Burnett 1969, Vitruvio 1980 - merged 1990

Founders: Leo Burnett, Miguel Angel Furones

Key people:

President: Miguel Angel Furones

General manager: Marta Aguirrezabal

Executive creative director: Rafa Anton

Billings: dollars 113 million

Rank: 15

Key clients: Airtel, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s, Philip Morris,

Procter & Gamble

Vitruvio is the creative star in Leo Burnett’s European constellation

and, particularly given its triumphant performance at Cannes this year,

it is giving Spanish hotshops such as Contrapunto BBDO and Publicis

Casadevall Pedreno a run for their money.

FRANCE

Name: CLM BBDO

Headquarters: Paris

Founded: 1972

Founders: Allen Chevalier, Jean-Loup Le Forestier, Philippe Michel

Key people:

Chairman & chief executive: Christophe Lambert

Co-managing director: Valerie Accary

Co-managing director: Marie-Christine Dax

Creative director: Anne de Maupeou

Strategic planning director: Martine Corbusie

Billings: dollars 214 million

Rank: 6

Key clients: Pepsi International, France Telecom, Mars, Total, Gillette,

Krys

France is not short on good agencies. But for excellence in the creative

stakes the choice boils down to Euro RSCG Babinet Erra Tong Cuong or CLM

BBDO. The latter wins out for the consistency of its creative

performance, not least this year when it broke all records for a French

agency at Cannes by taking home five lions.

US EAST COAST

Name: Deutsch

Location: New York

Founded: 1969

Founder: David Deutsch

Key people:

Chairman/CEO: Donny Deutsch

Partner/executive creative director: Kathy Delaney

Partner/director of account management: Valerie DiFebo

Partner/director of business development: Peter Drakoulias

Managing partner/chief strategy officer: Cheryl Greene

Partner/group account director: John Mittnacht

Billings: dollars 860 million

Rank: 22

Key clients: Mitsubishi, Ikea North America, Luxottica

Group/LensCrafters, Pfizer, Snapple, Bank One, General Nutrition

Centers, SunAmerica

Deutsch is the agency everyone is talking about in the US. Voted agency

of the year by Advertising Age, its business credentials were sealed

when it won the national dollars 250 million Mitsubishi account last

October. The agency’s edgy creative work is influenced by the famously

brash Donny Deutsch, a key player in Clinton’s first presidential

campaign.

US WEST COAST

Name: TBWA/Chiat Day

Location: Los Angeles

Founded: TBWA 1970, Chiat Day 1968. Merged 1995

Founders: TBWA: Bill Tragos, Uli Wiesendanger, Claude Bonnage, Paulo

Ajroldi. Chiat/Day: Jay Chiat, Guy Day

Key people:

Chairman, chief creative officer TBWA Worldwide: Lee Clow

President & chief executive of the Americas, TBWA Worldwide: Bob

Kuperman

President & chief executive TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles: Tom Carroll

Creative directors: Rob Siltanen, Jerry Gentile, Chuck Bennett, Clay

Williams, Ken Segall

Billings: dollars 1.325 billion

Rank: US 15

Key clients: Nissan, International Olympic Committee, Apple Computer,

Taco Bell, Sony PlayStation, Infiniti, ABC Television

Arguably the coolest agency on the planet, TBWA/Chiat Day is indelibly

linked to one of the world’s coolest brands, namely Apple, for which it

created the famous ’1984’ spot and, more recently, the award-winning

’think different’ campaign. This is the agency’s agency par

excellence.

US MIDWEST

Name: Fallon McElligott

Headquarters: Minneapolis

Founded: 1981

Founders: Pat Fallon, Irving Fish, Fred Senn, Tom McElligott, Nancy

Rice

Key people:

Chairman, worldwide: Pat Fallon

Partner/chief operating officer: Irving Fish

President, international: Bill Westbrook

President/creative director Minneapolis: David Lubars

Partner/group director, Minneapolis: Fred Senn

Billings: dollars 570 million

Rank: US 50

Key clients: BMW North America, EDS, Holiday Inn, IBP, Lee, Navistar

International, Nordstrom, Qualcomm, Ralston Purina, Starbucks, Timex,

United Airlines

Fallon McElligott holds a place among the elite midsize US agencies such

as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco and Wieden & Kennedy

in Portland. Although it recently lost Miller Brewing, it continues to

be a highly regarded agency competing, and winning, at a national

level.

LATIN AMERICA

Name: DM9DDB

Headquarters: Sao Paulo

Founded: 1989

Founders: Nizan Guanaes, Joao Augustus Valente, Duda Mendonca, Domingos

Logullo

Key people:

President: Nizan Guanaes

Creative board: Nizan Guanaes, Erh Ray, Camila Franco, Luciano Zuffo,

Sergio Valente

Billings: dollars 300 million

Rank: 3

Key clients: Antarctica, Telefonica, Banco Itau, Honda, Compaq,

Microsoft, American Airlines, Texaco, Rosset

To be named agency of the year not once but twice at Cannes puts

DM9DDB’s president in an awkward position. The shop has outstanding

creative credentials, but Nizan Guanaes does not want awards to detract

from the business of servicing clients. An ability to keep feet firmly

on the ground is just one of many reasons why this agency is a must-have

for Campaign’s dream team.

SOUTH AFRICA

Name: TBWA Hunt Lascaris

Headquarters: Johannesburg

Founded: 1983

Founders: Reg Lascaris, John Hunt, Jenny Groenewald (For TBWA see US

West Coast entry)

Key people:

Co-chairman: Reg Lascaris (also regional director for TBWA)

Co-chairman and executive creative director: John Hunt

Creative directors: Sandy de Witt, Tony Granger

Billings: dollars 200 million

Rank: 2

Key clients: BMW/Land Rover, Standard Bank, Tiger Foods, MTN Cellular,

South African Airways, Plascon Paints, Nando’s Chickenland

For creativity and business acumen, two agencies are neck-to-neck in

South Africa: TBWA Hunt Lascaris and Ogilvy Mather Rightford Searle

Tripp & Makin. And the creative genius of Jupiter Drawing Room deserves

a mention.

However, the balance tips in favour of TBWA Hunt Lascaris for

ground-breaking creativity which continues to impress awards juries

around the world.

ITALY

Name: Armando Testa

Headquarters: Turin

Founded: 1946

Founder: Armando Testa

Key people:

Chairman and chief executive: Marco Testa

Director of international operations: David Gray

New-business director: Pietro Dotti

Director of creative operations: Mike Williams

Income: dollars 48 million

Rank: 1

Key clients: Pirelli, Lancia, Lavazza, Benckiser, Martini, Mulino Bianco

(Barilla), Telecom Italia Mobile

Home-grown and ranked first by income for the past ten years, it is

difficult to argue with Armando Testa as our choice of agency from

Italy. Its client list includes some of Italy’s best-known brand names.

And, in a market not renowned for its creativity, the awards keep

rolling in.

ASIA

Name: Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific

Headquarters: Hong Kong

Founded: 1990

Founder: David Ogilvy

Key people:

Chairman: Miles Young Regional client services director: Tim Isaac

Regional planning director: Mark Blair

President, OgilvyOne Asia Pacific: John Goodman

Income (excluding Japan): dollars 154 million

Rank (regional, excluding Japan): 1

Key clients: American Express, Guinness, IBM, Kodak, Nestle, SmithKline

Beecham, Shell Oil, Seagram

O&M in Asia Pacific has as its mission statement ’to be the most Asian

of the multinationals’ and it has achieved this aim thanks to an

impressive roll-call of talent and the leadership skills of Miles Young.

For consistency in business and creative performance across the region

it takes its place in Campaign’s dream network.

This article was first published on Campaign