School Reports 2012: Adam & Eve

Score: 8

Agency fact file: Adam&Eve
Type of agency	Advertising, digital and comms planning
Company ownership	Independent
Key personnel	James Murphy founding partner
	David Golding founding partner
	Ben Priest founding partner
	Jon Forsyth founding partner
	Neil Thomson finance director
Nielsen billings 2011	£80m
Nielsen billings 2010	£41m
Declared income	£8.1m
Total accounts at year end	22
Accounts won	7 (biggest: Halifax)
Accounts lost	0
Number of staff	58 (+21%)

So huge credit must go to Adam & Eve's management team for building on the previous year's successes and cementing the agency's position as one of the most respected and talked-about shops in the industry.

The year kicked off in style when the agency won the £25 million Halifax advertising account, seeing off strong competition from Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R.

But the sheer enormity of the win would come at some cost - the agency was forced to close its new-business doors for much of the early part of 2011 as it bedded down the win.

Luckily, any fear that this would lead to all momentum being lost was swiftly cast aside in the second half of the year, with the agency going on to win a number of new accounts, including work from YouTube, Pizza Express, Mumsnet and Simon Cowell's record label, Syco.

But while Adam & Eve's new-business record has always been eye-catching, it was the agency's creative work that shone brightest in 2011. High-profile campaigns were produced for Foster's, Save the Children and Phones 4u, while the agency also launched Pottermore, a new online portal for Harry Potter fans.

However, it wasn't until the final months of 2011 that Adam & Eve produced its standout work. The John Lewis Christmas TV ad had the nation blubbing, thanks to an endearing storyline and beautiful direction.

The ad proved once again that Adam & Eve has the creative firepower to back up its already impressive new-business record. And with momentum still on the agency's side, expect another big year in 2012.

Score last year: 9

How Adam & Eve rates itself: 8

"Strong creative above-the-line, online and even TV programming. New-business wins including YouTube, Halifax, Syco, Pottermore, Pizza Express and Lastminute.com. Hired brilliant talent across digital, planning and creative."

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This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk