J. Walter Thompson Melbourne appoints Annie Price as CD following growth of retail division
Off the back of significant growth and the addition of several retail clients to its burgeoning roster in recent years, J. Walter Thompson Melbourne has unveiled a range of initiatives that will see it placed among the most qualified retail agencies in the country.
The agency has also added one of Melbourne’s best credentialed and awarded creative directors Annie Price (right) to its roster, who until recently was at the Brand Agency.
With a client roster that now includes Chemmart Pharmacies, Drummond Golf, Radio Rentals and Harris Scarfe, managing director Michael Godwin said developing a competitive proposition to offer retailers has been a strong focus for the agency.
Says Godwin: “As a result, we’ve built an outstanding, highly experienced team that is passionate about the sector and understands the unique needs of retail clients. Around these people, we now also offer a breadth of in-house production capabilities, including a stand-alone photographic studio, available exclusively to our clients.”
In addition to the studio facility, which sits next door to the agency in Richmond, J. Walter Thompson has assembled a team of photographers, shooting art directors, stylists and production managers. It has also installed a state of the art Digital Asset Management system that will see the agency deliver an incredibly efficient operation for its retail client base.
Overseeing this operation is Andrew Egan (above, left), who joined the agency last month as its retail operations director, having spent the previous four years as GM at Ogilvy’s Myer agency.
Says Egan: “The opportunity to help build an integrated operation that includes a fully equipped photographic studio doesn’t come along every day. But that’s exactly what we’re doing. Through our end-to-end operation and experienced specialist team we can meet a client’s every communications need in-house, providing seamless campaign integration, delivered with great efficiency and cost effectiveness.”
Says Godwin: “Having best in class production capabilities is one thing, but the quality and effectiveness of the creative idea remains paramount. We needed a senior creative to lead our team with a proven track record and genuine enthusiasm for the sector, which Annie certainly has, as demonstrated by her work for the likes of Bunnings, Forty Winks, Specsavers, Guardian and Snooze.”
Says Price: “I kept hearing positive reports from former clients and colleagues about J. Walter Thompson, which gave me an inkling that exciting things were happening. I’m thrilled to be working at an agency that combines all the client management and strategic skills you’d expect from a well-established business like J. Walter Thompson, coupled with some less expected capabilities such as its in-house production offer. For me, it means a campaign platform can go to market with greater consistency from catalogue and eDM to TV and radio.”
19 Comments
Welcome Annie! Such a great addition to the family!
Great work Annie! They’re lucky to have you.
Design Files one day, Campaign Brief the next. On fire!
They forgot to say one of Melbourne’s NICEST creative directors.
Well done Annie! Great choice JWT.
Annie is just one of the most positive influencers and leaders in our business. She’s clever and sharp and has fabulous taste. I loved working with her! Good on JWT for getting you onboard.
Don’t these people realise how ridiculous their patter is and how predictable and transparent the spin is?
Go you good thing
Don’t these people realise how shallow, predictable and transparent their petty critical comments are?
@ Cliches R Us.
The only cliche here, is a patently bitter little junior sniping from their battered old keyboard at their open plan desk under the stairs at Envy & Dickhead.
Let someone enjoy their promotion. And get back to work, so you hit middeweight sometime this decade.
This is the Ogilvy Redworks model, just 8 years late.
At least Redworks was smart enough to use Dubsat’s AdGate.
Congratulations to all involved. You are truly pioneers.
You make me feel so young! I haven’t been called a bitter little junior since 1977.
Please don’t confuse my revulsion at spin with any personal attack on Annie & Co. I’m sure they’re lovely people and richly deserve their moment in the sun.
When you’ve been around a while, you too will take press releases with a mountain of salt.
Congratulations Annie.
And yes I agree with all the positive comments above.
Sounds like a great move.
Rock n rollin’ Ms Price.
Every retail client mentioned on that new JWT client list is from their purchase of Wilson Everard, a terrific Melbourne agency for over 20 years, founded and owned by Andrew Wilson and Jim Everard who sadly passed away last year. Annie, if you do half as good a job as Andrew and Jim did for them, you’ll have some very happy clients.
@Back to the Future,
J-Wals is clearly making a play to have Melbourne’s best retail offering. Nothing wrong with that. Very few are doing it well.
Doesn’t matter whether the offer is old, new or somewhere in between. They’ve identified a gap in the market & resourced right. All power to them.
Congratulations Annie
Are you saying Thompsons acquired the agency and are now claiming they won those accounts as new business?
If so that’s quite sickening.
@Vale Jim and @ 8.10
Chemmart is an existing JWT client, has been for years.
Harris Scarfe is a very recent new win.
Drummond Golf and Radio Rentals were Wilson Everard clients.
One of the best in the business.