Host: Mumbrella Creative Agency Review – A subdued year for the newly wed

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

Host has a pretty good excuse for having had a quieter year than usual. The agency can no longer claim to be the best independent agency in Australia, having sold a majority stake to French group Havas in July, making a wealthy man of Anthony Freedman, who founded the agency a decade ago.

Though this year’s work was not the best in its history, the agency continues to enjoy a decent reputation built on its unique model (outsourcing creative), entrepreneurial leadership, strong culture, and work that, more often than not, has the edge of surprise. Its standing in the market has been done no harm by its founder’s position as chairman of the Communications Council.

Prior to the sale, one panellist noted: “Host continues to deliver impactful, different, highly creative work across what is now a big agency. The agency sells itself well on its differences and uses its additional services (PR and social/digital) to great effect. All it needs now is to sell, and let an international owner drive it into the ground.”