Leo Burnett (becoming Leo in most places alongside Publicis but not the UK it seems) is in danger of becoming the UK’s biggest creative agency by billings, along with VCCP chasing down Saatchi & Saatchi. Publicis Groupe owns Saatchi and Leo.
If it succeeds it would be quite a turn-up. Leo Burnett is a venerable member of the agency establishment, entering the UK market when it bought the London Press Exchange (what a different world that was) in 1969. But it never made it to top spot or even really threatened to. So what’s changed?
A solid, experienced senior line-up of group CEO Charlie Rudd (effectively demoted in a mystifying makeover of WPP’s Ogilvy), CCO Mark Elwood (who didn’t get the top spot at MullenLowe when it bought 101) and CSO Josh Bullmore (a relative of the late Jeremy Bullmore, so that’s a head start.) Rudd and Elwood were arguably under-appreciated in their previous roles. Elwood has built on the work of predecessor Chaka Sobhani (now at DDB International) by producing work that both pleases the creative natives (up to a point) but doesn’t frighten the horses (clients.)
A good example is its latest for newish client B&Q, heralding the gardener’s favourite season.
Previous agency Uncommon Creative Studio also had a crack at this.
Spot the difference? Well, mostly it’s the call to arms at the end of Leo’s version, although, arguably, Uncommon’s film is the better one. But these days DIY retailer B&Q’s biggest rival is Amazon and so price really matters. Pragmatism trumps art?
Accounts move for all kinds of reasons of course. But Leo’s latest for B&Q is a good demonstration of how and why it’s ascending the big agency ladder.
MAA creative scale: (hmm): 7.
