AND THEN THERE WERE THREE: DROGA5 AUSTRALIA'S NEW MANAGEMENT LINE-UP
Following months of speculation, Droga5 Australia, the first overseas office of Droga5 New York, finally confirms its arrival with the announcement of a new management team.David 'Nobby' Nobay, takes up the helm as Creative Chairman of Droga5 Australia alongside partners Sudeep Gohil, who joins as Planning Director and Marianne Bess, who will be Managing Director.
Before resigning in October, Nobay was Executive Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney. Under his watch, the agency was named CB Australian Agency of the Year an unprecedented three times in as many years. In 2007 he was also ranked No1 most awarded Creative Director in the Australasia region in the CB Creative Rankings.
Meanwhile, Gohil has gained his formidable reputation abroad. Previously he was Worldwide Planning Director of Weiden & Kennedy, Portland, responsible for global strategy for Nike and P&G. Prior to his role there, he was Planning Director on the European Levis account through Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London. He also was part of the launch team for BBH Japan.
Marianne Bess comes with a client business pedigree second to none. Living in LA, she was responsible for leading the Toyota business for North America (the automotive leader’s largest market outside Japan) at Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2003, she moved to Sydney to work alongside Nobay and, then, CEO Jim O'Mahony. For the last 4 months she has been working as Strategic Consultant within Toyota Australia.
All three partners will hold equity in the new venture, alongside Worldwide Creative Chairman and Founder, David Droga and his New York-based company. In addition, Nobay will become a board member of Droga5 in the US.
David Droga is perhaps Australia's most successful advertising exports. With over 50 Cannes Lions to his name, he is the single most awarded Creative Director in the world.
Before founding Droga5 in New York last year, he had been the first Worldwide Chief Creative Officer for the Publicis Network, as well as Executive Creative Director of Saatchi London and Regional Creative Director for Saatchi Asia. Before leaving Australia 11 years ago, he was a partner and Creative Director of OMON.
Although it has only been 20 months since Droga5 opened its doors in the US, it is already considered one of the hottest advertising and communications companies in the world. Its clients include, Microsoft, ESPN, Ecko, Diageo, UNICEF, Maxjet, Tracfone and Rhapsody.
And while Droga5 is a 100% independently owned company, last year it created a joint venture with the giant French communications company, The Publicis Groupe. Together they launched a groundbreaking broadband retail and entertainment channel, HoneyShed. After a year in development, HoneyShed.com launched its beta site three weeks ago.
David Droga (at left with Nobby at a CB Lunch last year) says the idea of a Sydney-based office to extend his brand was always on the cards: “As a fiercely proud Aussie, it was always my intention to launch an office back home. While the idea of 'a start-up doing a start-up' sounds somewhat unusual, I have always believed you have to build around talent. Nobby was always my first and only choice. Like me, he’s as passionate about the clients' business as he is in the idea’s ultimate execution. And when you include the talents of Sudeep and Marianne in the mix, well, I feel like the stars have aligned for us in Sydney."
According to Droga, the time has never been better for his style of creative company: “Our business is at a crossroad. And like never before, it needs creative leaders who value business and business leaders with a genuine passion for relevant creativity. We are not just in the business of creativity but rather creative ideas that create positive momentum for brands."
According to Nobay, the agency is already busy talking to potential clients and adding staff to its numbers: “Frankly, our biggest concern isn’t growth for the sake of it, it is being able to partner with clients with shared ambitions and the capacity to live up to our collective potentials. For that, we were willing to wait, but I’m already amazed at the response we’ve had, especially as we haven't officially publicised our intentions. The work over the next six months is what will define us, not agency rhetoric, so I’ll say no more for now, other than, for all the pressure we’re now under, it was self inflicted and more fun than even I had predicted."
Only this week, Droga5 Australia added the first creative team to its ranks by securing the talents of Ben Smith and Neil McGuirk (pictured left), one of Lowe Hunt Sydney’s hottest teams and winners of the Global Yahoo ThinkTank Project. The agency will secure a permanent address in January, and announce additional senior hires.
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To Ben and Neil, well done lads!
D5 isn't independent - has been backed from day 1 by a holding company.
Where do I sign up?
Well done Widescreen and Neil.
When they say one of sydney's hottest teams, they're not kidding are they?
Bom chicka wah wah!
How long until they have the Toyota business?
Will they be pitching for some of the Fosters account?
11.50am
Big article in a US mag. Everyone thinks they are holding company backed. ( Even most Publicis people) In actual fact, Droga5 was funded 100% by Droga and is completely independent. HoneyShed is the Publicis backed entity and a completely seperate operation in LA. Although Droga runs both, it's a JV between Droga5 and Publicis.
I think if you read it closely you'll see that they are "One of Lowe Hunt Sydney's hottest teams". Lowe Hunt currently have 2 teams.
Hey 7:43 I saw the article... careful what you read. Especially in ad media where many journalists just publish press releases.
I know the people involved and the history at launch. Anyway, doesn't matter much. Good luck to them.
Jealous 9:23 AM?
Why not write something constructive. They're obviously pretty good to have got the job. I'm sure any creative in Australia or overseas would give their right arm to work at Droga5.
Guys, that rocks. Well done you b*stards.
Contrary to popular opinion, and verified by David Droga himself, Droga5 is 100% independent.
By the way, Honeyshed is 51% owned by Publicis, most of the rest owned by Droga5. LA production company Smuggler has a small share.
10.39. not jealous, just clarifying for the person who questioned why they were 'one of sydney's hottest teams'. good on em I say, I'm sure they're very good and will be big.
Amazing news. Good for Neil and Ben. Great for Nobby and crew. Fantastic news for Australian adverting. No pressure guys.
10:39, whilst I'm sure your intentions are honourable, I doubt whether most creatives would give their right arms to work at Droga5, unless of course they're left handed.
More like left nut.
THINK BIG...talk small
As quoted from this year:
His 3-month-old Publicis-backed venture, Droga5 in New York, is currently working on a project for General Electric and it will be anything but traditional.
Time will tell. I don't know if they're cleverer than anyone else. The key will be whether they get the clients keen to do the kind of work we all want to do. Really, it's not about having the smartest creative department. It's about finding clients with the desire to do interesting, possibly non-traditional work and then delivering the results that will keep them and other coming back for more.
11.08, or should I call you Lynchy, he's being a bit cheeky with wording.
"I did not have sexual relations with that girl."
D5 may be 'independent' but it's not Dave's money. They have a big sugar daddy - not that there's anything wrong with that.
At least that's what one of the D5 partners told me when they launched. And everyone here in the USA knows it.
And to quote the famous Campaign Brief magazine...
http://campaignbrief.blogspot.com/2006/07/droga-5-juggernaut-why-its-set-to-take.html
Who cares who owns want. They are doing some amazing stuff in the States.
Only question is whether clients over here are as brave.
11.37... all the trade press (including CB) were under a false impression when Droga5 launched that it was Publicis backed, and it was never disputed by David Droga - probably because it suited him at the time. Now that he is well established and considered the hottest shop in the USA right now, he is happy to confirm that Droga 5 is totally independent and majority Australian owned.
I'm with 12:19, who cares who owns what? The great thing about shops like D5 and others is that they are firestarting the digital/non-traditional revolution that will eventually force agencies in Australia to change or perish. Most agencies here (specially big name multinationals) are run and Creative Directed by people still stuck in the 80's or 90's, selling expensive TVC's or print campaigns to clients as the only possible solution, pulling the wool over their eyes and thinking of what awards they can win to feed their egos and paychecks. In the meantime, we are light years behind places like Goodby or Anomaly or RG/A in the U.S and no-one seems to care or to be doing anything about it. Until now. Welcome Droga5. Best of lucks and kick ass, this industry desperately needs it.
Honeyshed is pants
This whole thread is hilarious. As a mate of Droga's living OS. I know for a fact it is independent and that he funded it with his own money. but who cares anyway. this is about a new agency opening in Sydney with some serious talent behind it.
good luck guys.
Nobby is the best damn guy in the job!
Dont put im down, like you could do better.
D5 is completely 100% independent.
I think they shall rise over all other
advertising companies in the next 10 years.
Droga sounds like an amazing guy.
Best of luck to all of them.
Good luck Nobby
xxx
HoneyShed isnt my cup of tea but i wish I was on their set making that stuff. Hat's off to them, at least they are trying to build their own thing.
5.38.
I think it is also shoes, make up and disposable undies.
The big question is why did Droga choose a Brit for his agency in Australia?
4:29, that poem sucks.
for all the talk of Nobby, i think everyone is missing the genius of Sudeep. He is one of the best planners in the world and most certainly the best planner to every set foot in this country.
Nuff respect to Widescreen Ben and Oporto Neil!
9.28.. who else would he choose to do it?
no aussies (in australia) seem to be up to the gig.
poms and kiwi's are running the industry there.
any aussie worth his salt has seen the light and headed OS.
12.11.
this is a creative blog.
planners blog found elsewhere.
The question is, will Nobby bring over his hottest team from Saatchis, Shannon and Kathy.
Talk it up guys. It's the Sydney way.
The best in the world. The best this, the best that. The most this ,the most that.
So the rest of us, by virtue, are duds?
Fuck off. You guys have got competition. Me for one...and hundreds of oither people who are equally as talented. Bring it on!
Ben and Neil work bloody hard. And they worked at Glue for free for roughly a year before they went to Lowe....
I'm sure they'd agree they aren't the worlds best or brightest but they work hard and obviously are passionate about what they do.
and nice guys to boot.
good luck guys...
benno.
Who's benno?
Benno is otherwise known as Ben Dover.
He's the account guy to blame for all the rubbish ads on TV. And that's most of 'em.
Ben Dover, geddit?
Dave here's a tip. The world of Content creation needs special skills.If you hire all ad guys, you are making a mistake. Find some people who are experts in mobile, broadband, digital possibilities, social networking and tv programming.If you dont your in for a surprise.