As of today, Lowe agencies across 90 offices in over 65 markets will be rebranded as MullenLowe. In Australia the agency rebrands as 303 MullenLowe. The global rebranding of MullenLowe Group follows the Group’s formation in May last year through the merger of IPG agencies Mullen in the U.S. with global creative network Lowe and Partners.
“The continued prominence of the 303 name in the local rebrand is reflective of our agency’s local market strength and of our ongoing ownership stake in the business,” said Nick Cleaver, CEO of 303 MullenLowe Australia.
Mullen has won numerous accolades including AdAge’s Agency A-list, Creativity magazine’s Creative Innovators of the Year as well as scooping the North American Effie Grand Prix 2015 for its American Greetings work.
Alex Leikikh, global CEO of MullenLowe Group commented, “The creation of MullenLowe Group has given us the opportunity to create a whole new type of global communications network. A network not defined by silos. A network with integrated communications planning built into the model. A network where we bring together the best cross section of our talent across all disciplines to work on client business challenges and drive more creativity.”
Both agencies have a proud legacy as independent agencies that have built a fully integrated offering including the provision of media buying services.
“Mullen’s hyper-bundled model has evolved from a belief that we share here that better client solutions emerge from a multidisciplinary agency environment. For us, the rebrand comes at a perfect time as our operating model has evolved significantly over the last year or so. It’s appropriate we signal this with a brand identity that better captures what we are as a company,” said Cleaver.
Of the company’s new logo, an octopus wearing boxing gloves, Cleaver said: “We love the sense of fun and purpose of the new logo. It captures our creativity, our determination to command our clients an unfair share of attention, and it’s an appropriate metaphor for our bundled offering.”
Over the past 18 months, 303 MullenLowe has significantly expanded its social media and content offering and its digital capabilities under the stewardship of Brad Morris, managing partner for digital and innovation. Gavin Gibson’s arrival in July 2015 as managing partner Media has seen the agency add enormously to its media smarts with a new programmatic trading desk and a new data analytics capability created. Over the last three months, 303 MullenLowe has bolstered its media team with six new hires.
The agency grew significantly in 2015 off the back of its enhanced offering winning clients including Audi, Macquarie University, Sherwin Williams, major Federal campaigns for Treasury and Austrade, the Cancer Institute, projects for BHP and NSW Transport while growing business with existing clients such as NSW Health, Indeed and Budget Direct.
“Our integrated offering means clients get better creative solutions with less fuss and without the headaches of trying to coordinate competing agencies. We like to see ourselves as a different kind of beast where you’ll find the different arms of our industry – advertising, data, technical skills and media buying – in one place. No walls. No silos,” said Cleaver.
303 MullenLowe is also re-launching its website today to reflect the agency’s new branding and integrated capabilities.
As part of the Group’s global rebrand, sister network agency Lowe Profero in Australia – which offers deep digital and technology capabilities – will be also rebranded as MullenLowe Profero.
The new brand identity has been created to reflect the positioning of MullenLowe Group as a global creative boutique, with a challenger approach delivered through a hyperbundled operating model.
To visualise the new brand identity, the network employed its own talent to design its new logo, with the ‘Challenger Octopus’ marque being developed out of MullenLowe Brasil.
The MullenLowe Group network will now consist of 4 main brands: MullenLowe, delivering integrated marketing communications solutions, MullenLowe Profero, the digital pure-play network, MullenLowe Mediahub, providing media planning and buying solutions, and MullenLowe Open offering behavior-driven activation, CRM and shopper marketing.
