303 MullenLowe, run by CEO Nick Cleaver, was formed in 2011 from the merger of Lowe Hunt agency and Perth-based independent agency 303 advertising. It then evolved from 303Lowe to 303 MullenLowe in 2016. The agency boasts a strong client list including Budget Direct, TK Maxx, Audi, Netflix and Harley Davidson.
VITAL STATS:
- Agency Leader/s: CEO, Nick Cleaver; Managing Director, Joanna Gray; Chief Strategy Officer, Jon Mckie; Executive Creative Director, Scott Huebscher and Andrew Livingston, Chief Media Officer.
- Number of Staff: TBC
- Office/s: Sydney and Perth
- Major Clients: Budget Direct, Audi, Harley Davidson and TK Maxx
- Website: https://303mullenlowe.com.au/
“303MullenLowe is bigger and better than the market realises.”
– Expert Panel
Creative Output: 18/25
303 MullenLowe has created some interesting campaigns including Crust Pizza’s ‘It’s Not Pizza it’s Crust’, Budget Direct’s ‘Insurance Solved’, and Schick Hydro’s ‘The Man I Am’.
The agency’s work is also strategically interesting and delivered well creatively – a task that is hard to do in the creative industry. However, it would be great to see more non-traditional evidence of its “hyperbundling” philosophy in action. With seamless data, creative, tech, UX and CX all backed by full service media, it should produce some interesting work for brands.
303MullenLowe is a larger and more successful agency than a lot of the market will realise, however it does need to decide who the agency is and be more consistent in the marketplace.
“303 MullenLowe has produced some big, famous work and plenty of tightly targeted and highly effective activity right across the communications mix. This is always underpinned by a clear objective, consumer behaviour thinking, an all-pervading focus on data and a keen commercial edge.
– Expert Panel
Business Outcomes: 18/25
The expansion and growth in Sydney and the recent set up of a new management structure (with the appointment of Joanna Gray as Sydney Managing Director) suggests the agency is growing.
This coupled with the launch of its PR business Creature and rapidly expanding media arm Mediahub are good indications of an agency in a large growth phase. Plus, the recent integration of Profero in the 303 MullenLowe offering should further enhance this.
“The agency is consistently impressive. It has had a very strong few years. With long-standing clients like Audi and Budget Direct, 303 MullenLowe has proven itself over and over again across every channel and discipline.”
– Expert Panel
Effectiveness: 19/25
Expanding out of Perth and into Sydney has been a good move for 303 MullenLowe, which has provided the agency with access to a much wider pool of clients.
Now with supercharging digital capabilities following the acquisition of Profero, the agency should be able to attract more big brands.
The agency hasn’t had much presence at the Effies or other award shows in recent years, but many would say this has been done on purpose. Regardless of this, the agency’s hyper-bundling strategy should yield some rich results and data to put it back on the effectiveness trail.
“303 MullenLowe is a committed and hard-working partner for its clients and is able to make a commercial difference across a wide range of challenges and disciplines.”
– Expert Panel
Culture: 19/25
The agency has always been renowned for its collaborative culture led by CEO Nick Cleaver. 303 MullenLowe’s senior management ranks are also in the process of being strengthened.
As Managing Director, Joanna Gray is an outstanding culture builder, a creative advocate and a force for change. Once the original leaders pass the torch more formally, the agency’s prospects are good.
The biggest challenge for the agency moving forward will be the integration of the three other businesses into a complimentary skill set. As for any business or agency, acquisitions and additions to the company are always testing.
“As a culture, 303 MullenLowe is open and honest, with a high value placed on discipline, expertise and career experience. It is solid and strong.”
– Expert Panel
Score
303 MullenLowe has consistently produced good work for good clients. However, the agency has managed to fly well below the radar, and perhaps this is deliberate. The agency could benefit from a bit more PR and award presence, but other than that, the agency has a lot to be proud of.
303 MullenLowe said:
“We’ve built our business from the ground up, so know what it takes to grow.
“And from the beginning we knew strategy, creativity and media worked better together than apart. We saw it as the power of three. And it became the inspiration for our name – 303.
“It’s a name and philosophy that continues to inform how we operate today.
“We understand creativity is a powerful force for change. It inspires people to see things in a new light and to take action. But there are only rare moments when you can capture a person’s attention. So, what you say, how, where and when you say it are all crucial to being persuasive.
“For us creative ideas will always be more effective when seamlessly connected across touch points, presented to the right prospect, in the right channel, at the optimum time and served at the right cost.
“Get those elements right and you capture an unfair share of attention at the moments that matter.
“It explains why we combine strategy, creativity, media, technology, data sciences and PR because only by applying those skills in unison can we make key moments of opportunity count. It’s a rare and powerful combination of skill sets that guarantee our clients channel agnostic, accountable solutions.
“It’s perhaps why we’ve won more ‘Effies’ for our clients than any other agency of our size. Not to mention, why we’ve pitched and won all our clients and proudly participated in multiple growth stories over the years.
“Not that we’ve ever shouted about it.
“We prefer to quietly go about our business, delivering success for the likes of Audi (producing a critically acclaimed documentary “Machine”; or developing a world first online Audi buying tool) Budget Direct (“Sarge” has made them the fastest growing insurer), Citi (using NEO data
to build the wealth business), Netflix (the award winning Birdbox promotion) and much more for the likes of Bayer, Edgewell, Crust, Western Union, Cancer Institute, TK Maxx, Harley Davidson, Edith Cowan University, INova, Tourism Fiji and Unilever.
“All at the lowest cost and with a minimum of fuss.
“If you find that appealing, we’d love to talk.”
