TAXI DELIVERS KNOCKOUT PUNCH - Strategy

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY,
STING LIKE A BBDO
BBDO Canada’s stance in the
ring is decidedly head-down,
eyes-on-the-prize. Unlike the
Cassius Clays of the ad world,
the Toronto-based agency
doesn’t trumpet its awards or
new business wins, preferring to
quietly keep clients happy with
good, solid work.
But as the agency reappears
on the AOY podium for its best
showing in 10 years, it might
be harder to keep a low profi le.
“Keep your eye on BBDO,
that’s what I tell my staff,” says
one, decidedly louder agency
president. “They’re an agency I
have to pay attention to.”
President Dom Caruso
attributes BBDO’s breakthrough
work on brands like Diet 7-Up to
the network-wide “Total Work”
approach. “There was a time
a few years ago when BBDO
[Toronto] was ‘an ad agency
that makes great TV spots,’” he
says. “Today, everything [we
do] in terms of how we work
towards strategies and develop
campaign ideas is to get to a
big magic idea that’s bigger
than any single medium, that
inspires great creativity across
every touchpoint.”
Total Work, which has been
in effect for three years, was
fi rst implemented in Toronto
by former chairman and CCO
Jack Neary, who left in January
to work on the P&G business
in New York. And ECD Ian
MacKellar insists that very little
has changed since his mentor’s
departure. “That was the great
thing about Jack’s legacy – his
skill set is enviable and it’s hard
to follow in his footsteps, but he
left me with the tools to carry the
torch for the agency,” he says.
The work has built trust
with clients like Royal Bank
and Johnson & Johnson
(Monistat) to do more risqué
work. “We’re taking intelligent
risks to make sure people are
getting more engaged,” says
Caruso. “In this day and age, for
communications to really work,
they can’t be too conservative.
It’s that spirit at the client level
that has been key to the progress
we’ve made in the past year.”
Being in a top-shelf network
is also a big motivator. “We’re
in a pretty tough and enviable
crowd,” says MacKellar. “We
have no choice but to try to rise
to the occasion.” CT
aoy silver
Home gym: Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg,
Calgary, Montreal, Windsor, Halifax
Entourage: 300 deep
Season highlights: New business includes
Sirius Satellite Radio, Mabe General Electric,
Mercedes Benz and the Ontario Ministry of
Health. Diet 7-Up work scored a Silver Lion
at Cannes
Defeats: Lost the Budweiser Quebec account
to Brad Marketing in March. The auto industry
slowdown means less Chrysler work;
fast-feeder Cara Operations is also feeling
the pinch
Management moves: Chairman and CCO
Jack Neary moved to BBDO New York, while
Ian MacKellar rose to fi ll his creative role
as ECD; SVP/EMD Stephanie Nerlich left to
become president at Lowe Roche
Training regimen: The work, the work,
the work
Licensing and merchandising: A
card-carrying member of the BBDO network,
which has been named Cannes Network of
the Year for two years running
Today, everything we do in terms of how we work
towards strategies and develop campaign ideas
is to get to a big magic idea that’s bigger than
any single medium
www.strategymag.com STRATEGY November 2008 35