James Murphy, Ben Priest and David Golding, the new agency's three original founding partners, will be joined by Naked's head of strategy, Jon Forsyth, who will take a joint share in the business as a fourth founding partner.
Three others, none of whom will take an equity stake, have also joined. These are Ben Harris, a digital creative from Agency Republic, Nicholas Tasker, a creative from the brand entertainment agency Cake, and Catherine Kennedy, the business director and content director from Shop.
The agency officially opens its doors on 21 January, without a founding client. How-ever, it is already involved in a number of pitches, including the ongoing £8 million Daily Telegraph review.
Rather than relying on traditional creative teams, Adam & Eve plans to use a "pool" of digital, content, media, advertising and design staff, which it will pair up to work on specific briefs.
Forsyth said: "We have talent and experience from a host of different backgrounds. We can pick and choose who works together."
Golding said: "Clients are getting fed up with refereeing battles that break out between their different agencies. The way we work lets us think in an unbiased way.
"We didn't come into this thinking ‘how are we going to be different?', but more like ‘how can we give the clients what they want?'"
The founders decided on the name Adam & Eve because it encompasses the agency's founding principle.
Murphy said: "Our name reflects the belief that when you bring different talents together, amazing things happen."
Has Adam & Eve found a winning formula?
Comments
Wow! What a radical idea! Agency taps into pool of multi-disciplined and employs media-neutral approach. Woo hoo. It's like er...the integrated approach but...er...with a bit of a wacky name. Seriously, forgive the sarcasm, but the business model described just doesn't appear to be anything wildly different from many other agencies out there. And, as for the name, Cockney slang aside, when Adam & Eve got together they incurred the wrath of God. Truly an amazing thing indeed worthy of much celebration...
"Colin Montgomery" seems to be in quiet a cynical mood this morning. Anyway, I think you're wrong Colin. Talking about integration, media neutrality and drawing on pools of diverse talent isn't wildly different. However actually doing it and making it a commercial success definitely is. I hope it all goes well at A&E. Good luck to you all.
A&E !...that's brilliant!...a much better name than Adam & Eve...I can see it now, clients waiting in reception for 5 hours with a bleeding brand that's haemorraging cash.
I've been in sales & new business for over 13 years and ok they haven't exactly come up with a radical new idea and no matter how good or bad the name maybe, a name on its own won't win new business, however you put four experienced and highly talented professionals together who all have a stake in the business and they will give anyone a run for their money - good luck guys, hope it all goes well.
Sorry. Am I missing something "J Rigby"? (Why the quotation marks? Colin Montgomery is my real name. Not some incredibly bathetic nom de plume). Anyway, you seem a little confused. I thought the prompt 'Has Adam & Eve found a winning formula?' was designed to stimulate a little bit of debate about their business model. A business model being positioned by the agency's founders as refreshingly different. And as an alternative to what's currently available in the marketplace. When it's er..not. Whether it succeeds or not or whether they 'make a commercial success of it' is neither here nor there as of this moment. Still there's no harm in being wholly uncritical if you want to get ahead etc.
Best of luck to them.
Having started my own agency after leaving Saatchi (FEEL) I know even when you have a pool of great talent, experience and a great proposition it's still tough out there.
There are simply too many agencies (and lots of good ones) out there. What makes it tougher is that many clients are having to work to tighter budgets which is good for all those not so good agencies offering to do it for half the price of quality agencies.
It's still a fact that you get what you pay for and talent and experience will always come at a higher price.
My advice is don't sit in the middle or compromise, make sure you stand for something and remain true to your principles, values and vision.
Regardless of whether they do or don't have a winning formula, they've managed to get a good few of us out there talking about them, which is a positive first step in my opinion! (And pitching for an £8m account can't be bad either...)
CM - I can't find the claim from the A+E founders about wanting to be "refreshingly different". If I'm not mistaken their quote says "we didn't come into this thinking how are we going to be different?". Anyway, we're splitting hairs. The fact is, you think there are lots of agencies out there doing interesting new things but there aren't. A lot of agency founders have talked a good game about creating something new but have ended up depressingly similar to the long-established agency model. I'm not against a good debate. I just thought you were quick to get to a 'woohoo/seen it all' before response especially when you don't give any examples of the supposedly over-supplied world of interesting multi-disciplined agencies.
They seem to be adopting this Independent Production company model. i.e. A few directors + get a commission + screw the talent + hire some freelancers to deliver. I think it will work so long as they can resist indulging in a marbled reception area.
So J.Rigby, how long have you worked in marketing? And do you read Campaign? There's news and chat and splurge about the increasingly multi-disciplined, 360 degree thinking, supersonic, integrated, 76 trombones, future of marketing type agencies every week. Throw a stone in London and you'll hit one - so, no I'm not going to produce a list. And saying 'we don't want to just be different, we want to do the right thing for clients' is implicitly saying 'we are different from all those other agencies who are overly concerned with being different'. As everyone has been quick to point out, these guys are all industry veterans with experience, talent and contacts coming out their ears. So someone not joining in the group hug is really not an issue I suspect...
I've worked in marketing for too long and I've probably read Campaign too often. Just in case you've missed it - we're agreeing Colin. There are hundreds of start-ups claiming to be new, radical and different - but none of them actually are. I wonder if you're being cynical because you don't agree with the need to try new things in our industry? Or maybe you've achieved something so interesting and different in this industry that the A+E idea seems a bit old hat in comparison.
Adam and Eve .....wasn't that a sex shop pre- Anne Summers ????
That's it. I give up. I can't compete with this Haight-Ashbury love in. I'm off to start Cain & Abel. Or Lot & His Wife. Or something. Here's to Adam & Eve...
Hope they don't want
www.adamandeve.com
.....it's already taken
Maybe it's not a new formula, but making it work is the most diffiuclt challenge. I love seeing start-ups and I especially love seeing them come out of people who've been senior and part of a big Network, it shows some balls to put it all on the line.
It's also good for us all to have a bunch of guys hungry for success pushing the boundaries. It stops everyone feeling a little too safe and comfortable and makes us all make sure we're delivering work that's good enough to actually go into production.
As someone who runs an integrated Agency and who has also worked with James in a Virtual Agency perspecitve, I hope it's a success, as not only is he a nice guy, he's also bloody good at what he does.
good luck! having run this model/proposition (CallcottMarketing.com)for the last year it is tough but like media neutral agencies back at the turn of the century the tide is turning and client silos are coming down; it is not the agency talent supply (anymore) but the clients need to be able to buy genuine cross discipline thinking, after all an Advertising Manager rarely backs PR and digital even if it is the most productive solution.
HI Adam and eve .. congratulations & good luck
jon forsyth is a great visionary & has done a very good job with Naked who started from humble beginnings .. so theres hope for you guys definately.
Adam & Eve have realised that you don't have to do everything in-house. By outsourcing your creative talent and creative services you can save money on salaries and tax, save time by delegating extra curricular tasks outside your remit, whilst keeping your ideas and finished artwork fresh and exciting by using the right people for a given job.
I offer an art buying service and negotiate fees and usage licenses on behalf of agencies. My fees are absorbed in the shoot budget and I'm amazed that small design agencies still have art directors doing their own art buying, or start-ups use stale art buying services whom source the same old names. Outsourcing saves money time and keeps things fresh! rebecca@rebeccavalentine.com
Comments
Colin Montgomery - 17/01/2008
Wow! What a radical idea! Agency taps into pool of multi-disciplined and employs media-neutral approach. Woo hoo. It's like er...the integrated approach but...er...with a bit of a wacky name. Seriously, forgive the sarcasm, but the business model described just doesn't appear to be anything wildly different from many other agencies out there. And, as for the name, Cockney slang aside, when Adam & Eve got together they incurred the wrath of God. Truly an amazing thing indeed worthy of much celebration...
Jonathan Rigby - 17/01/2008
"Colin Montgomery" seems to be in quiet a cynical mood this morning. Anyway, I think you're wrong Colin. Talking about integration, media neutrality and drawing on pools of diverse talent isn't wildly different. However actually doing it and making it a commercial success definitely is. I hope it all goes well at A&E. Good luck to you all.
april feeney - 17/01/2008
A&E !...that's brilliant!...a much better name than Adam & Eve...I can see it now, clients waiting in reception for 5 hours with a bleeding brand that's haemorraging cash.
Micky Pain - 17/01/2008
I've been in sales & new business for over 13 years and ok they haven't exactly come up with a radical new idea and no matter how good or bad the name maybe, a name on its own won't win new business, however you put four experienced and highly talented professionals together who all have a stake in the business and they will give anyone a run for their money - good luck guys, hope it all goes well.
Colin Montgomery - 17/01/2008
Sorry. Am I missing something "J Rigby"? (Why the quotation marks? Colin Montgomery is my real name. Not some incredibly bathetic nom de plume). Anyway, you seem a little confused. I thought the prompt 'Has Adam & Eve found a winning formula?' was designed to stimulate a little bit of debate about their business model. A business model being positioned by the agency's founders as refreshingly different. And as an alternative to what's currently available in the marketplace. When it's er..not. Whether it succeeds or not or whether they 'make a commercial success of it' is neither here nor there as of this moment. Still there's no harm in being wholly uncritical if you want to get ahead etc.
CHRIS ARNOLD - 17/01/2008
Best of luck to them. Having started my own agency after leaving Saatchi (FEEL) I know even when you have a pool of great talent, experience and a great proposition it's still tough out there. There are simply too many agencies (and lots of good ones) out there. What makes it tougher is that many clients are having to work to tighter budgets which is good for all those not so good agencies offering to do it for half the price of quality agencies. It's still a fact that you get what you pay for and talent and experience will always come at a higher price. My advice is don't sit in the middle or compromise, make sure you stand for something and remain true to your principles, values and vision.
Jocelyn Kirby - 17/01/2008
Regardless of whether they do or don't have a winning formula, they've managed to get a good few of us out there talking about them, which is a positive first step in my opinion! (And pitching for an £8m account can't be bad either...)
Jonathan Rigby - 17/01/2008
CM - I can't find the claim from the A+E founders about wanting to be "refreshingly different". If I'm not mistaken their quote says "we didn't come into this thinking how are we going to be different?". Anyway, we're splitting hairs. The fact is, you think there are lots of agencies out there doing interesting new things but there aren't. A lot of agency founders have talked a good game about creating something new but have ended up depressingly similar to the long-established agency model. I'm not against a good debate. I just thought you were quick to get to a 'woohoo/seen it all' before response especially when you don't give any examples of the supposedly over-supplied world of interesting multi-disciplined agencies.
David Cuff - 17/01/2008
They seem to be adopting this Independent Production company model. i.e. A few directors + get a commission + screw the talent + hire some freelancers to deliver. I think it will work so long as they can resist indulging in a marbled reception area.
Colin Montgomery - 17/01/2008
So J.Rigby, how long have you worked in marketing? And do you read Campaign? There's news and chat and splurge about the increasingly multi-disciplined, 360 degree thinking, supersonic, integrated, 76 trombones, future of marketing type agencies every week. Throw a stone in London and you'll hit one - so, no I'm not going to produce a list. And saying 'we don't want to just be different, we want to do the right thing for clients' is implicitly saying 'we are different from all those other agencies who are overly concerned with being different'. As everyone has been quick to point out, these guys are all industry veterans with experience, talent and contacts coming out their ears. So someone not joining in the group hug is really not an issue I suspect...
Jonathan Rigby - 17/01/2008
I've worked in marketing for too long and I've probably read Campaign too often. Just in case you've missed it - we're agreeing Colin. There are hundreds of start-ups claiming to be new, radical and different - but none of them actually are. I wonder if you're being cynical because you don't agree with the need to try new things in our industry? Or maybe you've achieved something so interesting and different in this industry that the A+E idea seems a bit old hat in comparison.
Andy Knell - 17/01/2008
Adam and Eve .....wasn't that a sex shop pre- Anne Summers ????
Colin Montgomery - 17/01/2008
That's it. I give up. I can't compete with this Haight-Ashbury love in. I'm off to start Cain & Abel. Or Lot & His Wife. Or something. Here's to Adam & Eve...
Andy Knell - 17/01/2008
Hope they don't want www.adamandeve.com .....it's already taken
STRINGER - 18/01/2008
Maybe it's not a new formula, but making it work is the most diffiuclt challenge. I love seeing start-ups and I especially love seeing them come out of people who've been senior and part of a big Network, it shows some balls to put it all on the line. It's also good for us all to have a bunch of guys hungry for success pushing the boundaries. It stops everyone feeling a little too safe and comfortable and makes us all make sure we're delivering work that's good enough to actually go into production. As someone who runs an integrated Agency and who has also worked with James in a Virtual Agency perspecitve, I hope it's a success, as not only is he a nice guy, he's also bloody good at what he does.
Duncan James - 18/01/2008
good luck! having run this model/proposition (CallcottMarketing.com)for the last year it is tough but like media neutral agencies back at the turn of the century the tide is turning and client silos are coming down; it is not the agency talent supply (anymore) but the clients need to be able to buy genuine cross discipline thinking, after all an Advertising Manager rarely backs PR and digital even if it is the most productive solution.
nick lal - 29/01/2008
HI Adam and eve .. congratulations & good luck jon forsyth is a great visionary & has done a very good job with Naked who started from humble beginnings .. so theres hope for you guys definately.
Rebecca Valentine - 07/11/2008
Adam & Eve have realised that you don't have to do everything in-house. By outsourcing your creative talent and creative services you can save money on salaries and tax, save time by delegating extra curricular tasks outside your remit, whilst keeping your ideas and finished artwork fresh and exciting by using the right people for a given job. I offer an art buying service and negotiate fees and usage licenses on behalf of agencies. My fees are absorbed in the shoot budget and I'm amazed that small design agencies still have art directors doing their own art buying, or start-ups use stale art buying services whom source the same old names. Outsourcing saves money time and keeps things fresh! rebecca@rebeccavalentine.com