ADFORUM WORLDWIDE SUMMIT 2005
The Re-Invigorated Saatchi & Saatchi, Still Passionate About Ideas.
9/21/05

As Mary Baglivo sees it, after her first year as CEO of North America, there's a new spirit at Saatchi & Saatchi. And it can best be summed up as “One team. One dream. And nothing is impossible.”

The team includes a number of other new players as well. Tony Granger is the chief creative officer of New York and Lee Daley, already a legend in the advertising business, is now CEO and chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi UK.

While pursuing new ideas with major global clients such as P&G, Toyota/Lexus and General Mills, and absorbing new business wins, including Ameriprise Financial, a spin-off from American Express, BASF and Air Tahiti, the organization's efforts are yielding results.

The goal is to be revered as a hothouse for world-changing ideas that create sustainable growth for their clients. More specifically, they'd like to be responsible for filling the world with “lovemarks,” those super-evolved brands that create “loyalty beyond reason” while giving consumers smart reasons to connect with their clients' brands.

Daley is so passionate on the subject, he considers lovemarks almost a religion. He's also excited about the level of enthusiasm and innovative thinking he's encountered in the UK offices.

And said there's real new business momentum not only in London but across Europe.

Jim O'Mahoney, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi in Latin America. Asia and Australiasia, was also upbeat.

Ideas and inspiration have led to a string of successes and new business accounts in his part of the world as well as industry recognition, including 14 Cannes Lions and 17 Clios for the Asia/Pacific offices.

And he extolled the work they did for Hopscotch Films in Australia. In helping the company launch Michael Moore's documentary, “Bowling for Columbine,” it went on to become the highest grossing documentary in Australian history.

Clearly the teamwork is paying off.