France-based Moira Gitsham, who, like Clark and Parsons, resigned from CPR Worldwide earlier this year (PRWeek, 16 July), is also an agency co-owner and founder and completes the agency’s managerial triumvirate.
Three further members of Tonic Life’s eight staff formerly worked at either CPR or its parent F-H – the agencies from which Clark and Parsons dramatically resigned within seven days of each other just over six months ago.
Tonic Life starts business with six clients, three of which the top trio disclosed as AstraZeneca, Procter & Gamble and Gerber Foods UK. The agency is working with the drugs giant’s UK neuroscience team, P&G on its pan-European feminine-hygiene range and Gerber Foods UK to ‘promote the health benefits’ of Welch’s Purple Grape Juice.
Tonic’s co-founders formerly worked for AZ and P&G at their previous agencies – but it is understood that the Tonic accounts are fresh pieces of business.
The other staff who have left F-H or CPR for Tonic Life are: F-H associate director Emily Chapman, CPR Worldwide account director Stephanie Makin and CPR Worldwide account manager Matthew Kent.
They have each taken the same job titles at Tonic Life, while Clark is CEO, Parsons is MD and Gitsham has the title of board director.
Parsons said Tonic Life wanted to work with pharmaceutical and biotech companies with ‘an increased need for consumer comms for their business and their products’.
Clark quit F-H in February (PRWeek, 27 February), with Parsons resigning from CPR a week later (PRWeek, 5 March).
Clark founded CPR with Gitsham and Dr Steve Carroll in 1993; the trio sold up to F-H six years later.
Apparently relishing their new independence, Tonic’s website states that the agency ‘is not constrained by big company structures or bureaucracy... at Tonic we encourage freedom of expression’.
