Lee Leggett, now CEO of Clemenger 2.0, is confident the restructured group of 350 people, merged from three agencies, will give clients access to more capabilities.
Three Omnicom creative brands – Clemenger BBDO, CHEP Network and Traffik – officially blended into one big agency this week.
“Over the past 12 months, the agencies have been working more closely than ever – across major clients like CUB and Samsung, and on new business wins,” she told AdNews.
“So, in some ways, it’s the formalisation of something that was always here, not the creation of something new.
“Clients want more capability and less complexity. That’s exactly what this brings. One agency, under one roof, with one team.”
Leggett is joined by Simon Wassef, previously at Clemenger BBDO, as chief strategy and experience officer, and Glen Dickson, a longstanding CHEP creative leader, as deputy chief creative officer.
Meanwhile, Clemenger CCO Adrian Flores, CHEP CCO Gavin Macleod, CHEP CSO Lilian Sor, and Clemenger chief growth officer Anita Zanesco have exited the business, along with former Clems CEO Dani Bassil.
“Some incredible people have made the decision not to continue on this next chapter with us, and we respect those choices,” Leggett said.
“This wasn’t about cost-cutting. It’s about building the right team for the future, with the capability to grow. I’m excited about our new era and partnering with Simon.
“He brings the type of big strategic and platform thinking that is right for the new Clemenger BBDO.”
A global search is underway for a national chief creative officer.
Leggett said the headcount will continue to grow as the agency wins more business.
“Our total team is around 350, and while there’s been some natural role alignment, we’ve approached this with care and clarity,” she said.
“We’ve retained the overwhelming majority of our people because their talent is exactly what will drive this agency forward,” she said.
“This move is about enhancing our capabilities and making us stronger together, rather than reducing resources.”
The combined agency roster includes Samsung, Mazda, Officeworks, Bupa, CUB and Asahi, Latitude, 7-11 and Simplot.
The new Clemenger BBDO also won its first client in Kmart last week.
“Kmart is exactly the kind of client we’re built for. Ambitious, fast-paced and an incredible chemistry alignment between our teams,” Leggett said.
“Clients that demand both creativity and capability and are demanding simplification across their agency roster are right for us.
“We’re in several active pitches right now and already seeing the impact of the new model. Clients are coming to us with bigger problems, knowing we now have a broader, more integrated toolkit to solve them.”
Leggett said the merger provides an opportunity to overhaul outdated agency processes and structures.
“The two most dangerous words in our world are ‘We’ve Always’ - we’ve been unafraid to let go of what no longer serves us,” Leggett said.
“That includes siloed teams, legacy reporting lines, and ways of working that don’t match the pace or needs of today’s clients.
“We’re focused on uniting three businesses with strong individual cultures into one unit without losing the unique strengths of each while cherry-picking the best policies, initiatives and rituals to bring forward into the future.”
Legget is also focussed on moving to one way of working and embedding new frameworks across the agency over the next half.
“Across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane we have a taskforce working to unite our businesses across IT, new business, HR and more,” she said.
“This is where we truly bring together Clemenger’s creative legacy, CHEP’s precision and media strength, and Traffik’s experiential edge.
“The structure is there. Now it’s about unlocking the full power of it in day-to-day delivery.”
Leggett believes that “creativity is having a comeback”.
“Do Big Things is a rallying cry for our agency to come together as the new Clemenger BBDO,” she said.
“We’re going through change now to be stronger for tomorrow. I believe we have all we need under one roof right now to be the most brilliant full-service agency in the country.
“The conversation around big is bad is an oversimplification of the market. It will never ever be a bad time for a great big idea.”
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