AdvertisersAgenciesCreativeNews

Engine challenges on-site agency Oliver with NuFu launch

Engine is launching NuFu – not a chain of sushi restaurants but a new challenger to Oliver in the on-site agency stakes. NuFu is short for Nuclear Fusion, it seems.

Transport operator TransPennine Express in Manchester is its founding client and Engine has poached Sam Broster from Oliver as NuFu MD.

Engine CEO Debbie Klein (below) says: “There’s been a clear shift in the market, and more and more of our clients want agency insights and expertise on-site. To date, the breed of on-site agencies has been solely focused on warm bodies but we will add insight and measurement.

“NuFu will be a key part of the Engine network, complementing our existing end-to-end offering and allowing us to partner even more strongly with our clients. Even though the teams will sit in client organisations, there’ll always be a bridge back to Engine specialists.”

TransPennine Express head of marketing Caroline Anchor says: “TransPennine Express are delighted to be the founding client of this exciting new venture from Engine. Having on-site talent working within our marketing team, and benefiting from access to the full range of specialists skills from Engine, is an utterly compelling offering.”

Oliver has grown like topsy (its latest client is Unilever) and agencies have been slow to respond. They are now though, with a vengeance it seems, hoping that they can trump the interloper with better skills, in part located back at agency HQ.

Johnny Hornby’s The&Partnership, which already has such an arrangement with News UK via its Pulse agency, is currently recruiting 400 or so people to staff 17 offices across Europe (mostly on-site) to handle its massive new Toyota Europe account.

Back to top button