The Agency
We opened our doors on July 4th 2003. It really was Independence Day for us – besides running our own business we were able to offer our clients some truly independent thinking. Today they tell us that we offer a different and refreshing approach to the traditional agency model.
We’re different in that we’re Thinker-Doers - a halfway house between a strategic consultancy and a full-service creative agency.
For some of our clients (e.g. Novartis) we’re Thinkers, working at the strategic level and as a sort of referee, making sure that their roster agencies are working together rather than vying with one another for precedence.
For others, our role is far more ‘hands on’ - we produced Abbey’s in-branch literature for the SME market, for instance, and created their
e-marketing campaigns.
For yet other clients, we’re both Thinkers and Doers.
The Bare Essentials
- Launched 2003 by ad agency directors pledged to offer truly media-neutral advice
- Thinker-Doers. For some clients, strategic consultants; for others, full creative agency; for many, both
- ‘Collaborative village’ of senior specialists in all disciplines
- High-calibre talent, low overheads, highly competitive costs
A truly independent approach
We founded KB49 because we were disillusioned with the way traditional advertising agencies behaved towards their clients: The answer’s a TV commercial – now, what’s the question?
We, by contrast, won’t recommend a discipline or medium until we have properly defined the business need.
We aim to uncover deep insights into the true identity of brands, and into the perceptions and behaviour of customers.
To achieve this, we employ a range of proprietary tools – CODAR, STELLAR, Brand Fingerprinting and more.
Then we go one step further and craft powerful creative ideas that express our insights.
Only then will we recommend the right media to maximize a client’s ROI.
Collaboration for quality and cost
Because the right media could be anything from advertising to event marketing, we have assembled a ‘collaborative village’ of people we know and trust, and who are proven in their many and various fields. This allows us to keep KB49 lean and mean – and to pass on the savings to our clients.
Thanks to our structure, we always explore media possibilities beyond the obvious and conventional – hence our name, which derives from our strapline:
Next time your agency presents a 48 sheet (poster), demand to see the 49th
Our Clients
Our clients include Novartis, Weatherbys (private banking), Instant Access, Abbey business banking, IATA, Mind Your Own Business (MYOB), Kall Kwik (print & design), Black n’ Red (office stationery), Intermediate Capital Group (mezzanine finance), Masterfoods, Hammerson, Windsor Telecom, Sandown Park Racecourse, Radius (international business travel), Inner Caddy (golf distance coaching), BSM and Auto Windscreens.
We have undertaken project work for Levi Strauss, MTV Europe, Little Chef.
During the last five years, we’ve impressed our clients by showing real understanding of their business issues, and by proving ourselves to be valuable creative partners as well as strategic ones.
“I talk directly to experienced creatives and planners, so things get done right, first time”
- Rachel Brown (Abbey)
“I get all the experience and 100% dedication, without the bullshit, bag carriers or hangers-on”
- Georg Toufar (Novartis)
“It’s good to work with grown ups who understand and are motivated to face the commercial realities of my business”
- Marcus Gilmore (MLG)
“Remarkable creative ability combined with level-headed management”
- Neil Sherring (Windsor Telecom)