BURGER TO GO TO THE PALACE

The Campaign Palace has named South African Jacques Burger as its new Sydney MD and National CEO. 

In the National role, Burger succeeds Mark Mackay who will depart the agency in the new year after 17 years at The Palace.  In the Sydney role, he will take over from Lindsey Evans.

Burger, 34 joins the Palace following a stellar 10 year career at the Ogilvy SA Group where he was most recently managing director of Ogilvy Cape Town, responsible for more than 240 staff across the company’s creative, DM, online, events and media agencies.  The agency ranks third in the South African market and services a blue chip client portfolio which includes BP/Castrol, BAT, SAB Miller and Volkswagen.

Under Burger’s stewardship Ogilvy Cape Town delivered steady profit growth and more than $20million in new business last year. He has also presided over the creative resurgence of the agency, which is now ranked 16th in the WPP Group’s 900 advertising agencies. 

Burger has extensive experience across the automotive, FMCG, tobacco, petroleum and financial services sectors and has worked on major brand campaigns for VW, Castrol, Cadbury Schweppes, BAT and the WWF. Described as a consummate advertising professional, he has also developed highly prized expertise across the direct and digital sectors. As leader of the Volkswagen account for a number of years, Burger was an early adopter and advocate of 360 communications.  Ogilvy Cape Town VW case studies are now used globally to demonstrate best practice integrated marcoms. 

Y&R Brands CEO Nigel Marsh was a key player in the selection process and his vision for The Palace brand clearly struck a chord with Burger: “Nigel’s view that The Campaign Palace remains undisputedly brave, relevant, independent and focused on creative excellence was the clincher for my taking the job,” he said. 

“A single-minded focus on brilliant commercial ideas is at the core of  the agency’s DNA and this aligns perfectly with my own passion for work that stands out, that touches people, that moves them emotionally. In addition to a heap of effectiveness awards, The Campaign Palace has produced some of the most loved advertising in Australia.

“Talking with the senior management it was clear The Palace has an unfair share of the industry’s best talent and is blessed with phenomenal brands and strong client partnerships. I am really looking forward to being part of the team that takes this iconic brand on the next stage of its 35 year journey.”

Mark Mackay was reflective about his own Palace chapter coming to a close but delighted to be able to pass the baton to a rising star of Burger’s talent.  “It has been a tremendous honour to lead one of the best agency brands in the business and I’m enormously proud of what we’ve achieved.  Our work for clients like Target, MLA, Westpac, Bonds and 3 Mobile has put the Palace in the history books. We’ve also had some of the industry’s greatest talent work for us and won more effectiveness awards than any other agency in the country.”

Mackay said the agency was incredibly lucky to secure Burger: “Talent of this calibre is rare – a fact that was immediately recognised by the Palace team.  Jacques has an exceptional track record in above the line and is equally comfortable in the digital and direct space.  But one of the things I’m most pleased about is that Jacques is the perfect cultural fit for the Palace.  He just gets the Palace brand and the special place it has in our industry.”