Simon Wassef, now chief strategy officer at Clemenger 2.0, is bullish about the agency’s future.
Clemenger BBDO has officially opened shop, blending three Omnicom creative brands – CHEP Network, Clemenger BBDO and Traffik – into one big agency of 350 people.
“Before this integration, if a Clemenger client wanted CX or digital capabilities from CHEP, that wasn’t always easy. Or if a Traffik client wanted deeper brand thinking, there were barriers. Now those barriers are gone,” he told AdNews.
“The integration opens doors. Clients are saying, ‘Can you help us with this thing we didn’t know we could ask you about last month?’ That’s new work, and it matters just as much as net new business. It’s about unlocking more value for the clients we already have.
“If you were designing an agency from scratch today, you’d build it this way. You’d bring all the capabilities together – brand, CX, digital, experience – end-to-end.
“Clients and customers don’t see silos. They just want great experiences and great ideas, seamlessly delivered. So I’m bullish. I think we’ll be asked to do more for the clients we already serve, not just chase new ones.”
Wassef is joined by a leadership team including Glen Dickson as deputy chief creative officer and Lee Leggett as CEO.
A global search is underway for a national chief creative officer.
Wassef said the agency’s strategic ambition is driven by the mantra ‘Do Big Things’.
“If you're going to say ‘Do Big Things,’ then strategy has to get you there,” he said.
“That’s the ambition. Simple doesn’t mean easy - it takes the right talent, the right mindset and space to connect the dots.
“You have to give the team room to explore, iterate, and reframe problems. Because that’s where the big ideas come from - often by solving the problem behind the problem.
“When we do that well, we get to work that’s culturally relevant, commercially effective, and creatively powerful. That’s what we’re aiming for - strategy that enables the biggest, boldest work possible.”
Wassef said his focus is on integrating the strategy teams from all three businesses.
“We deliberately blur the lines between brand, social, CX, media. Strategy should exist in the intersections. That’s where the most interesting ideas come from,” he said.
“You can’t just say ‘we’ve integrated’ and hope for the best. You have to intentionally bring people together, listen, and build trust.
“When it works, you can deliver integrated strategy faster, not slower, because all the disciplines are at the table from the start. That’s the difference.”
Wassef said the goal is to create work which resonates with people in the real world.
“Success, for me, is when the work we do enters culture,” he said.
“I once bought a bike from someone on Marketplace, and when I said I worked in advertising, he immediately brought up Carlton Draught and Not Happy Jan – iconic Clemenger work. That’s what we want again.
“We want to create ideas people talk about voluntarily, whether they’re in a boardroom or buying a bike. That’s when you know strategy is resonating and your work has real impact.”
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