Brisbane Independent agencies join forces to form Gallery De Pasquale (GDP)
Two of Brisbane’s independent communication agencies – Gallery and De Pasquale – are merging.
The new, integrated communications agency, Gallery De Pasquale (GDP), will boast a 50-strong team, including specialist digital/interactive, PR and social marketing divisions.
Gallery Group Chairman, Jay McAlister, will become Chairman of Gallery De Pasquale, with De Pasquale Founder/Co-owner, Gino De Pasquale, taking the role of Non-Executive Director. De Pasquale’s current CEO, Cos Luccitti, will become Director, enabling him to continue to focus on forging client relationships and assisting with their business challenges. The proven partnership of Gallery’s MD, Remy Brassac, and Creative Director, Phil Nobay will continue in the new entity.
Jay McAlister and Gino De Pasquale have forged close personal and professional ties over the past decade. Recent discussions led them to decide that joining forces was a natural progression of their shared business and client focused philosophies.
“In tough economic times, we saw the opportunity to move forward with confidence and focus, while others are busy licking their wounds. As well as making sound operational sense, combining forces means we can offer clients outstanding resource, insight and support to meet their formidable challenges,” McAlister said.
“De Pasquale is arguably Brisbane’s most established, respected and awarded agency. The De Pasquale name enjoys enormous equity built up over the past 21 years and in them, we have found a partner that is strong strategically and creatively.”
Gino De Pasquale added that Gallery had been on his radar for some time. “I’ve watched Gallery’s strong and steady growth over the past nine years and been hugely impressed with its integrated philosophy and the team’s most recent creative achievements and client wins,” De Pasquale said.
“The two agencies share a similar culture, in that they are driven, results-oriented, intelligent and prepared to go beyond the call of duty for their clients to get the job done,” he added.
“Brisbane is primed for another serious independent agency structure which offers powerful business skills, along with outstanding strategic creative, and Gallery De Pasquale is most certainly the agency to deliver this.”
The physical merger will take place on 20th April 2009, when staff from De Pasquale join their new team mates at Gallery’s newly acquired, purpose built offices at 100 Brunswick Street in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. All key De Pasquale and Gallery personnel will remain part of the new merged entity.
34 Comments
Two top agencies and top personnel. Good luck to you all!
whatever happened to mint?
I wonder how many more mergers we’ll see this year. Not just indy shops either.
“De Pasquale is arguably Brisbane’s most established, respected and awarded agency”
Mooooohahahahahahahahaha!
Good luck boys.
mmm, ok.
“De Pasquale is arguably Brisbane’s most established, respected and awarded agency”.
You must be kidding. And I guess that’s why it no longer exists….
But seriously good luck with it all guys.
One important omission from the press release – Lars Vester will take the role of Creative Head at GDP, bringing the talents of one of Brisbane’s most respected creatives to all our clients. Watch this space.
What? They’re not keeping some non-key personnel? Oh, go on. It’ll be fun.
The end of Wickham street. That was a great office, depending on who was controlling the tunes.
Good luck all.
There’ll be more. Well, there already is: Love merged into AdPartners for one.
Sign of the times, as Prince once said.
Let’ just say he was thirty five …
4:35 and 7:59, don’t you have 50 virgin ads to write before lunch?
yeah, but what’s happened to MINT?? How come no-one wants to merge with them?
So Phil,
if we get through the PR speak, who paid money for whom here?
Let’s just say he was 35 and working in advertising.
Big news for the Brisbane agency scene. Like them or not, this seems like a pretty strong partnership.
Hope nobody is out of a job.
just sounds like a lot of hot air. even for a press release.
I do wonder who’s bailing who out.
That’s a “lot” of nice titles there….and I mean a “lot”.
I give it 6 months before at least 2 of them leave the building, but I hope I’m wrong because there’ll be no one to answer the phones if that happens.
Good luck to Remy and Phil. Top blokes and doing a good job.
That said:
– Around 20% of the team is management by the looks of it. Bloody hell that’s impressive. So that must have been the purpose that the new offices were purpose built for…
– Hardly big news for Brisbane. Cumminsnitro winning the pitch on Gruen with a lovely idea is news for Brisbane. Well done Nancy & James.
– Agency is called GDP. Piss funny that. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT. Brilliant.
Were MINT ever looking at a merger?
Do they really expect us to believe this PR spin? De Pasquale had 40+ people only 12 months ago and now they’re down to 8 or so. Gimme a break. Why don’t they call it what it is?
So does that now leave about 10 agencies in Brisbane? wont be long till we’re all just one big agency.
Why is everyone concerned. Don’t you all live the high life and your $100K+ salaries and Cannes trips?
As 7:59 said, that DP is the most established, respected and awarded agency in Brisbane. Why do they have such a high turnover of staff and why are they merging? Funny stuff….. Good luck with it all Gino, hope you do well with better people surrounding you, and the experience of the Gallery.
this is fucked.
That sounds like a lot of chiefs and not many indians.
I like how the new website asks if you want more drive for results and it’s got a car SFX. That’s brilliant! Who says creativity in Brisbane is dead.
Gee, what a bitter, bitchy industry – with seemingly truckloads of time and vitriol to lavish.
Wow, pity about the site.
Do they really expect us to believe this PR spin? De Pasquale had 40+ people only 12 months ago and now they’re down to 8 or so. Gimme a break. Why don’t they call it what it is?
… Better to “merge” and move into another agency’s office than go bust I guess. Hopefully Gallery can prop them up
Well this is what happens when pasta makers want to make ads – good luck!
Has anyone googled Gallery DP…??
alert(‘warning: you suck dick’);
bunch of advertising wankers – you all deserve one another