Monster & Bear bolsters production company with addition of three ex-agency creatives

(Pictured L-R: JC Reyes, head of creative; Leslie Preyer, creative director and Mete Erdogan, art director)

Melbourne-based production company Monster & Bear is looking more like a hybrid creative and production company these days with its newly acquired, ex-agency front end creative team.

Why? According to M&B, the argument for this hybrid model has been mounting year on year, as budgets continue to be an ongoing challenge for marketers and audience expectations remain higher than ever.

Says Sarah Hickey, founder, Monster & Bear: “We wanted to bring creative masterminds in-house who not only speak to brand, advertising and marketing, but protect the original intent of a campaign and get the most out of the budget.”

“Between the acquisition of creative director Leslie Preyer (ex-Cyclone Agency), head of creative JC Reyes (ex Mustard Creative, Charles Elena and Moose Toys) and art director Mete Erdogan (ex Saatchi & Saatchi), we have already seen the immense value our clients are receiving from the elevation of strategies and concepts, and how that translates into the execution. It’s a true partnership model from beginning to end, not just from the moment “production” kicks in.”

According to Monster & Bear, the acquisition of agency creatives into the production company is the future of the business, as it ensures that there is a bridge between the creative development, the budgets and the production itself, in a way that protects an agency or brand’s conceptual marketing intentions.

Adds Hickey: “It’s not about creating flashy assets that look nice on a director’s folio, but really understanding brand messaging and goals at a deeper level.  Less about folio, more about results.”

SEE THE MONSTER & BEAR STUDIO FACILITY AND TEAM IN ACTION HERE

Whilst Monster & Bear sees this shift as having benefits for its direct-to-client relationships, the company is most excited about how the new roles will strengthen the dialogue they have with their agency and creative studio partners.

Says newly appointed creative director Leslie Preyer: “Transitioning to a creative agency production hybrid model is truly the future of our industry.

“It’s a concept that really excites me and played a big part in my decision to join this team. At Monster & Bear, we can be more flexible, stretch our budgets further by having both creative and production capabilities in-house, and, most importantly, unleash our creativity. By bringing together the creative and technical aspects of production early in the creative process, we’re able to deliver better results for the brands and agencies we work with.”

At a time where marketing spends appear to be very conservative Australia-wide, clients (agencies and brands alike) are already capitalising on Monster & Bear’s new way of working. Over the last 12 months, partners have included  large players such as JWI Global, Disney Australia, Sexyland, SBS Australia, Peroni, GOVT Singapore, Visit Victoria, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, M&C Saatchi, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and more, there’s no denying that this hybrid model is the future of film and photography campaigns.  Collaborators are already seeing the benefit of this hybrid production model.

Says a spokesperson from creative agency We The People: “Working with Monster & Bear has been such a great experience! From the very start they have done everything they can to create amazing work for us that fits perfectly into our budget and timeline. They are just the most welcoming team and really made us feel like we were all working together as one. I had full confidence in Monster & Bear the entire time and can’t wait to work with them again!”

To get in touch with, or check out the work of Monster & Bear head to www.monsterandbear.com.au.

For new business enquiries please email hello@monsterandbear.com.au.