Creative agency Thinkerbell is set to undergo a dramatic rebrand as it makes a last-ditch, eleventh-hour attempt to retain its first employee, Emma O’Leary.
As B&T revealed yesterday, O’Leary, the agency’s head of people and culture, is departing after eight years, after growing tired of co-founder Adam Ferrier’s schtick.
Now, the agency appears to be throwing caution to the wind in order to retain O’Leary’s services. One agency insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, told B&T that panic had set in at Thinkerbell’s Melbourne office following the news.
“It’s been chaos,” they said, “staff are wailing at their desks and all the meeting rooms have been booked out for grieving sessions. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
B&T understands that Thinkerbell’s clients have not yet been informed of the name change.
Margie Reid, CEO, told B&T, “Yes, it’s true, Emma has been with the agency since day one and has been in large part the secret to the agency’s success. Our Scattered Sunshine is leaving.”
Co-founder Ben Couzens said, “Emma was the original Thinkerbell COP – head of culture, operations and people (before we even had any Culture, or Operations, or People). She lead the building of the agency culture and helped us fill the agency with rituals, festivals and behaviours (and the same songs on repeat) that have helped us create 432 Magic Hours, one Incredible Fyre Festival, 21 Pots of Gold, 62 Mind Expansion weeks, 432 Measured Mondays, 863 throws at the dart board …and a bucket load of other things. She’ll be missed, to be sure.”
Ferrier added, “The thing we will miss most about Emma is her laugh, which is why we have dedicated the bar at Thinkerbell South to be forever named in her honour.
“As well as changing the name of the agency, ok, we’re only changing the name of the agency for a day, we’re actually going to name our bar “O’Leary’s” and keep that name forever.”
O’Leary herself is set to become head of people at QT Hotels.
