As of 01 September, 2010 'MGM Brand Construction & Advertising' has been renamed 'human.kind'. Making this rebranding exercise something worth talking about is the heart behind it -a team of people who are client focussed, environmentally conscious, socially aware and willing to live these values through the new brand. 'To act with purpose' is the company's new credo coupled with a commitment to become South Africa's first truly earthly conscious advertising agency; one that doesn't just pay lip service but delivers on its functional promise.
While human.kind's focus remains on what its core functions have always been: managing the process of establishing proper foundations for brands, constructing new brands, renovating ailing brands and maintaining brands for the good of clients, the real change is in its values. Its new positioning is about becoming more accountable citizens who manage and produce communications with the understanding that these are part of a much bigger picture: sustaining life on earth, sustaining the planet, and this is at the heart of its approach to everything it tackles. "The motivation for rebranding is simple: because human.kind cares. Not just about each other, but about bigger issues like our community and the environment," said owner and managing director of human.kind, Deon Kruger.
MGM's doors were opened in January of 2003 by a trio of founding members including Deon Kruger, owner and managing director; John Busken, creative strategic director; and Hugh Norval, operations director. Today, with a staff compliment of 42 and an annual turnover of R35 million, the agency has worked on many of South Africa's blue chip brands. Today human.kind services 12 leading brands, including Consol Glass, Supa Quick and Budget Insurance.
Seven years later, the new name has ushered in with it a new set of core values. These include building a DNA around its people and the planet. Made up of a tenacious team with the best intentions, the agency believes in instigating positive behaviour. It brands itself as authentic, mindful, ingenious, prudent and accountable, and has set its sights on "getting out there and acting with purpose".
In everything it does the agency's strategy is motivated by telling the best story in the most authentic way - thereby winning the account. Kruger believes that advertising can influence the world through the messages it filters into the public domain, and that it is possible to get people to change their behaviour for the better, by offering up bona fide messaging with integrity. An example of the agency taking its promise of giving back seriously and mindfully is the pro bono work it does for resonating causes such as the Noah Orphans and Endangered Wild Life Trust. The human.kind team offer its time and creative efforts to fundraising drives such as Save the Rhino and Save the Crane.
human.kind believes that all positive change starts behind the doors of its new Dunkeld offices, off Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg, in a building that is maintained in a manner that is easy on the environment.
"MGM was a one-dimensional brand operating solely within the spectrum of traditional communications, but we saw the need to change and grow. We believe human.kind is multi-dimensional, meaningful and worlds apart from where MGM was, reflecting our progress and evolution," concluded Kruger.
For further information please contact Deon Kruger, managing director, on 011 447 1211 or visit:
www.humankindadvertising.co.za
