The Grey network is creating a top ten agency by merging its
below-the-line operations, Grey Integrated and Grey Direct. The shop
will be called Joshua.
The agency will open its doors with 200 staff, claimed billings of
pounds 150 million and a projected income stream of pounds 16
million.
It bills itself as being a new model in the industry, one that will
eventually spread throughout the Grey network worldwide if it is
successful.
Joshua’s focus will be on the discipline of integrated campaign
planning.
It will be active across areas of specialisation, both above and below
the line. The senior structure will be made up of elements from the
component agencies.
The chairman will be Peter Thompson, the current chairman of Grey
Integrated, while Nick Spindler, Grey Integrated’s managing director,
will assume the same role at Joshua.
Stuart Leach - who joined Grey Integrated from Ray Leach EMO last month
- will be the group managing director, integration, and his counterpart
for advertising will be Nick Velody, Grey Integrated’s head of
advertising. Robbie Burton-Sanigar, Grey Direct’s planning director,
will be a director heading the integrated campaign planning unit with
Leach.
A ’creative council’ will be made up of Andy Blackford, Grey Direct’s
creative director; Andy Ray, who joined Grey Integrated with Leach; and
Ivan Palmer, the executive creative director of Grey Integrated. Gina
Larter, Grey Direct’s managing director, will be the group managing
director with responsibility for global business.
There are no client clashes in the move. Spindler said: ’Our critical
mass and client list will give us the breadth of experience we need to
represent all the skillsets, and also the depth by having them all
represented at board level.’
