Bester Burke merges with Bryan Slingers

Dave Bester

Under the leadership of Bryan Slingers as chairman, Dave Bester as CEO and Stephen Burke as executive creative director, the company now boasts an impressive list of core clients such as Indigo Cosmetics, The Ceres Beverage Company, Distell, GrandSlots, MWeb, Sasko, Pepsi and Woolworths, with combined billings of over R100 million.

Bester Burke Slingers owns 100% of the equity of Bester Burke, Underground and TBSP. All three creative agencies will retain their individual identities, and remain under the leadership of their respective MDs:

Bester Burke - Jackie St Clair Moor

Underground - Judy During

TBSP - Lynn Stevens

Bester Burke Slingers is 38% black empowered, with all shareholders active operationally in the business.

Although based in Cape Town, the group services clients on a national and international basis.

According to Bester, the empowerment credentials of the new entity was not the primary objective of the merger. “It is all about broadening our offering to clients on the one hand, coupled with the desire to establish an authentically South African agency with a uniquely South African style. The impact on our BEE credentials is a nice by-product.”

Slingers goes one step further, saying, “I would like to see our agency making its mark by celebrating this authenticity in our work”.