King James goes for Lunch

Independent advertising outfit King James has acquired a 51% interest in specialist non-traditional communications agency Lunch. Effective immediately, Lunch will operate as a stand-alone, complementary offering within the King James group of companies.

Formed two years ago, Lunch has already produced work for clients including FNB, Distell and Cell C and has gleaned extensive experience from their work in the tobacco, liquor and cellular industries.

James Barty, King James Group Managing Director, says: "With their expertise in the arena of alternative, 'under-the-radar' marketing, these guys are where the innovation is at. We are excited about the possibilities that this new partnership brings to the King James stable as well as the boundaries it will enable us to cross."

Mark van Niekerk, Managing Director of Lunch, says: "We're doing something right because we've been approached by several international agency groups recently. As a relatively new kid on the block with a radically different approach to communication though, we felt that King James was the perfect match.

"We share common values such as independence, entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for continuously wanting to develop and improve our offering so as to remain at the forefront and push the boundaries. These are essential characteristics needed to continue exploring and developing best-practice marketing solutions for the local market."