BWM: Mumbrella Creative Agency Review – losing Telstra ruined a decent year

The newly published Mumbrella Creative Agency Review examines Australia’s top 30 ad agencies. Today Robin Hicks examines how BWM has fared over the last 12 months.

It is hard on Belgiovane Williams Mackay that after a year to April that saw a record profit, a decent awards haul and the win of Kmart, the thing that BWM will be most remembered for in 2011 is that it lost its biggest client.

Teltra’s departure in May meant eight of the agency’s 120 staff had to go. But more would have left if the agency hadn’t won new accounts such as Selley’s – which won a film bronze at Cannes – and the Department of Health and Ageing in what hadn’t been a bad year thus far. Indeed, before Telstra went, the verdict of Mumbrella’s panel was positive overall.

One noted: “Volatile and interesting founder trio with the capacity and resilience to expand their offering into what’s needed today. Patience and tighter focus than in the past has delivered handsome dividends in the shape of Kmart in particular.”