A 'wunderful' marketing merger

The partnership was formed to meet the needs of clients, for whom it is increasingly important to have a national footprint and a fast moving, flexible, marketing approach.

The partnership will take the form of a non-equity affiliation and will see the new company sharing clients and best practice across the network.

The combined force of the new WundermanORD will pool creative experience as well as a client list that includes MTN, Microsoft, Sony Erickson, Coca Cola and brandhouse (including J&B, Smirnoff and Jose Cuervo).

Fraser Lamb, managing director of Wunderman and Y&R Johannesburg, says: "South Africa is one of the most challenging and exciting markets for advertising in the world. With massive differences between consumers broad brushed international models of advertising are doomed to failure.

"It is only through long-term campaigns that are tailored to interact with consumers on many levels that brands can achieve their potential. This is why ORD and Wunderman have combined forces: both companies have a proven track record in innovative, data driven, direct approaches to Africa's different consumer groups."

Grant Rightford, ORD group managing director, says: "We want to grow our client's brands through great creative, underneath the radar ideas. After attending the Adfocus conference last year, where so many large traditional advertising agencies were questioning their reason for being, we have no illusions about what our clients pay us to do for them. We have to create ideas which give our clients' opposition brands less space to manoeuvre and thereby give our clients' brands the edge to win."

All offices will retain their current management and staff.