How TBWA\London’s creative renaissance has driven client success

There’s a feeling that this year TBWA\London has fully broken into its creative stride. Boasting a strong and diverse portfolio of brands, a host of effective campaigns and a well-established leadership team - it’s probably fair to say that the agency has not only had a successful couple of years but that its future looks to be an exciting one.

Most recently, to add to the industry might of Larissa Vince (CEO) and Andy Jex (chief creative officer), the agency added former Grey London and M&C Saatchi chief strategy officer Raquel Chicourel to its leadership roster. The fact that the trio have already spent several years working together at Saatchi & Saatchi will only strengthen the agency’s output moving forward. Ex-Mother production director, James Faupel, has also joined the team as head of production, further bolstering the leadership line-up.

And on top of recent campaigns for McVitie’s, Hilton, Ginsters and Starbucks, the agency’s most recent work has also demonstrated its creative prowess. The Euro 2024 and Copa América spot for Adidas ‘You Got This’, featuring the man of the hour Jude Bellingham, brought together icons of the game to help disarm the negative pressure that professional athletes and normal people feel in sport.

TBWA’s debut campaign and platform for Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories’ new hayfever relief brand, Histallay, also set out to create a meaningful impact by acknowledging and validating the experiences of hayfever sufferers through TV spots and Chelsea Flower Show-specific activations.

Most recently, the agency sought to end the lifetime-long debate on whether Jaffa Cakes are biscuits or cakes. With what has become TBWA\London's signature blend of humour and disruptiveness, the Pladis-owned brand’s campaign sparked humorous conversations through OOH and social channels, aiming to appeal to Gen Z and families.

Just by taking a gander at the work, it’s clear that the agency has had something of a creative renewal in the last year or so. We caught up with Vince and Jex to explore the ways in which the agency has achieved this.

Buying into TBWA\London’s creative consistency and platforms

For Vince, a big shift for the agency has been getting clients to step away from conversion metrics and back towards buying into great and entertaining work. “Recently, clients have been re-embracing the value that quality brand-first creative can deliver to their businesses,” she says. “A few years ago, the industry fell into the trap of navel-gazing and forgetting how normal people see ads. I've never seen clients as under pressure and nervous as they were coming out of Covid but we’ve started to steer clients towards thinking about long-term ambitions.” As a result, relationships of trust have been built and both parties are seeing the results.

During the time Jex has led the creative department, he has always seen high-quality work being produced. “The problem was that the rest of the world wasn’t seeing it,” he says. “The output of my team has improved, but an improvement in leadership over the years has also meant that the agency as a whole understands the right work, knows how to get clients to buy it, and reassures them that it’s the right thing to do. This wasn’t happening pre-Covid.”

All of TBWA’s recent work has taken the form of platforms, what Jex dubs as “a higher-level version of what used to be called campaigns”. These platforms have been highly successful in boosting the fame of the agency’s clients.

Jex adds: “In the last few years, I’ve seen brands with multiple agencies (PR, social, media, experiential, and above-the-line) often pigeonhole us as just the poster and TV people. The truth is, the best work now lives everywhere. Anything can be an ad, but we aren’t always in control of those spaces because clients sometimes go to their social or PR teams for ideas.”

Jex also believes that creating a platform - a high-level thought that informs everything the business does, from human resources to recruitment, not just their communications - can change this.

McVities’ ‘True Originals' platform

An example is TBWA’s ‘True Originals’ work for McVities, a platform that re-establishes the Pladis-owned biscuit company as a fabric of the nation brand. Not only did the chief marketing officer, Aslı Özen Turhan, embrace it, but the UK CEO David Murray also ensured the ‘true original’ ethos was implemented across the entire business - for internal messaging and recruitment - not just the marketing department.

Vince adds that after the platform was launched, Pladis' UK CEO David Murray was told by a long-term union member that for the first time, he believed in the business's success due to the ad's impact. “This sentiment was echoed by factory workers, who felt immense pride and said the ad was what the brand deserved,” Vince says. “The ad's success highlighted the power of great advertising and the importance of trust between clients and agencies, paving the way for future collaboration.”

TBWA does not wait for clients to ask for a platform; the agency proactively provides one and explains why they need it without assuming they fully understand the benefits. Vince continues: “Clients often confuse platforms with endlines or ideas, and not all agencies distinguish them correctly. TBWA's disruption methodology focuses on creating platforms, leading to better ideas and diverse opportunities.”

Ginsters’ ‘Taste the Effort’ platform

TBWA’s ‘Taste the Effort’ platform for Ginsters was also highly successful in reshaping the reputation of the brand and also the bond between the agency and client. The brand’s marketing director Emma Stowers shared TBWA’s vision in creating “highly distinctive” long-term brand assets that drive emotional connection. Stowers also stated that she was “so proud of the outcome” and that she really believed that the ‘Taste the Effort’ brand platform packed a “heavyweight punch” across several national touchpoints.

The creation of this platform for Ginsters has resulted in continued marketing investment - with radio iterations adding to TV and other channels. “This demonstrates the value of owning the platform and the character, and creating the work.” Jex adds. “It leads to better results. We wouldn’t have done this without that foundation.”

The growth of the agency

Having worked with Vince and Jex at Saatchi & Saatchis, chief strategy officer Raquel Chicourel will only bring more synergy to the leadership team at TBWA, helping create the right shortcuts to success. For Vince, the best strategists determine the best route for a brand and also make that route interesting. “You often find strategists who excel at one but not the other. Some can convince you with data that something is right, but lack creativity. Others are very creative but don't provide solid reasoning.” She also believes Chicourel is one of the rare planners that is both “creatively curative” and “rigorous” in her work.

This hire is but one of the many signals of growth the agency has experienced in recent times. Despite a challenging market, TBWA/London has grown by nearly a third in the last 18 months, predominantly coming from a raft of new business wins.

But this success came from a brave shift in vision a few years ago. “Initially, we had two major B2B accounts that, while profitable, didn't produce notable work and skewed our focus,” Vince adds. “The teams on these accounts had skills different from what we needed for new clients.”

When one client moved to the network’s LA office and TBWA\London chose not to pitch for the other, it was a turning point for the agency. “This shift allowed us to win new accounts like McVities, Hilton, Mobile One, Red Bull Racing, and Starbucks, driving our revenue growth,” Vince says. “We've transformed our client portfolio without losing any clients we wanted to keep.”

What the leadership team are most proud of

It’s no secret that the hardest part of working in a creative agency in 2024 is convincing clients to buy, run and make creative work. Jex is most proud of achieving exactly that. “It's not actually about the quality of the work but about the ability to get it sold and made. As I often say, coming up with ideas used to be the hardest part, and while it’s still challenging, that’s no longer the case. We are used to the struggle but I think the last few years have been extreme.”

Vince echoes this sentiment, but also gives the global TBWA team and Omnicom credit for its belief in creativity. The global team helps the London arm take a strategic view of the agency’s goals and how it will achieve them. “It really helps that they understand what our company is about - a creative culture that opens the doors, enhances relationships with clients and creates some amazing work that changes the world.”

The TBWA\London CEO is also proud of the lineup of brands the agency has. Before James Faupel was hired as the head of production, an interim head of production worked at the agency and praised not only the welcoming culture - (at other agencies freelancers often feel isolated) - but also the brilliant brands TBWA/London works with - McVitie's (Jaffa Cakes, Jacob's, Mini Cheddars, Club), Ginsters, Starbucks, Mobile One, Red Bull Racing, and Adidas. “It's a massive privilege to work with these incredible brands, and it feels like a responsibility to produce great work that lives up to their standards, even when clients might not realise it,” Vince adds.

For Jex, it’s rewarding to work with iconic brands and produce campaigns that garner the recognition of everyday people. He concludes: “It used to be a common thing with taxi drivers. They’d ask: “What have you done then?” I’d reply: “Lots of stuff, but nothing you’d know.” But now, I could mention the work we’ve done and he might recognise it. It’s nice to have that recognition - but also - isn't that what it's all supposed to be about?”