iris Worldwide launches The Nursery; incubator set to accelerate innovation for global brands

Following a whistlestop visit to Australia last week by its founders, Ian Milner (pictured) joint Global CEO and Sam Noble, chief global strategy officer, iris, the global creative innovation network, has officially opened its innovations & ventures division, The Nursery.

Focusing on the stimulation, development and realisation of new products and services, recently appointed industry leaders John Grant & Dan Thwaites will work with regional innovation teams to lead the Innovation & Ventures Division.

Voted one of Campaign Asia’s independent agencies of the year in 2013, iris is renowned for its ability to impact and empower its clients and their consumers through innovation.  The Nursery as a dedicated global unit will tap into the 900+ ambitious, creative people within the business to bring more start-up style ideas to big brands, create new business concepts and help clients to accelerate their own innovation process.

Says Grant Hunter, regional creative director, APAC: “We are already known for creative innovation on our existing client business in the region. The Nursery will build on that success as we prototype and test more radical ideas that address our client’s key business challenges. The APAC Nursery team is already collaborating on a number of big projects for Diageo, Heineken/APB and the City of Sydney.”

The Nursery will also actively invest $460,000 AUD (£250,000) in startup and innovative businesses, through its own investment fund and in collaboration with VC partners, to support new ways of thinking and create opportunities that will transform businesses and markets.

Appointed by iris in December 2013, after working with the network on a consultancy basis since 2004, co-founder John Grant is the best-selling author of The Brand Innovation Manifesto, and the award-winning Green Marketing Manifesto.  

Says Grant: “The hard part isn’t gaining the technical or creative skills to prototype ideas. That’s just the first challenge.  The hard part, and where iris has a track record of delivering, is the ability to make whole new business ideas and processes stick within global organisations or complex partnerships; operationally, culturally and financially. It’s good to be part of a global network investing significantly in more innovative thinking as well as incubating innovative business ideas.”

Also co-founder of The Nursery, Dan Thwaites has a long history of technology, creativity and start-ups, as well as experience working with global brands including BT, Diageo, Honda and Vodafone. 

Says Thwaites: “As a part of our ventures work, we’re currently finalising our investment in a number of technology startups and planning the next round of investments. If we’re going to be credible in this space, I think it’s important for us to be investing significantly in innovation too.”

Says Millner: “We have a strong heritage of creative innovation that extends way beyond communication – from creating iconic mascots Mandeville & Wenlock for the London 2012 Olympics to our recent work with Domino’s, MINI, Philips and adidas.

“We know that innovation is vital to modern day business success. Quick, breakthrough ideas need a different process, different people and different funding models. The Nursery has been designed to do just this.  The Nursery will help us find, develop and launch innovation wherever we find it. It will also invest in and incubate interesting start-ups.  It’s time for adland to put its money where its mouth is.”