Net#work BBDO has a 'meltdown'

Cannes, Loeries, Prisms, D&ADS, LIAs, New York Festivals, Bookmarks, One Shows … melted down into liquid metal and reimagined.

“We are living in a new world, with new social contracts,” says Roanna Williams, chief creative officer. “So rather than letting our awards gather dust in glass cabinets, we dusted them off, melted them down and reimagined how we could put them in the hands of the 670 employees that helped build this company.”

The melted-down awards have been used to craft the 670 hashtag logo pendants, each with its own unique hand-carved employee number. “We’re igniting a new era of Network BBDO by looking back and showing our gratitude to every employee who has been part of our 27-year story,” says Net#work BBDO’s MD, Leo Manne.

“We all know that awards are won not just by those that get called up on the stage or listed on the credits, but also the layers of people who make the calls, manage suppliers, and even make the tea. This is a tribute to everyone who has walked through our revolving doors since 1994. The incredible people behind the work,” says Tebogo Koena, head of strategic planning at Net#work BBDO.

Net#work BBDO has always been about “the work, the work, the work,” says Williams, “But after these massive two years we have all been through, we really wanted to make this about the people, the people, the people, behind the work.”

Manne and his team have reinvented Net#work BBDO into a 51% South African and Black-owned business recently adding Oppo, SA Taxi, Ford After Sales, Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona brands to their portfolio as creative lead partner.

Where else will the liquid gold turn up? Manne laughs. “One giant hashtag in our foyer maybe? Or maybe more pendants as we grow. For now we are focusing on gratitude for the past and the fullness of what tomorrow holds.”