Jim Ingram and Ben Couzens: Why there are fewer and fewer great places to work these days
Jim Ingram and Ben Couzens share their thoughts on becoming executive creative directors and partners of independent creative:media agency, CumminsRoss, Melbourne.
There are a number of reasons why this article shouldn’t be interesting. People start in new agencies every day, right?
But here’s the thing – as the big agencies continue to get bigger, there are actually becoming fewer places to work in Australia. Which means fewer viable options for clients also. To the point where right now you can count only a handful of real ‘destination’ agencies in Melbourne. And as a result, more and more brilliant creative minds are leaving this city, and this country, to ply their trades elsewhere. And that just doesn’t seem right.
We’ve spent our last 8 years working in two of the biggest agency networks, both backed by multinationals with nearly 150 years of combined history between them. So it seemed fitting that we left arguably the country’s biggest and best agency, to join CumminsRoss on the day they celebrated their third birthday. So why did we do it?
On 11.1.11 the eight founding partners of CumminsRoss opened their doors with the guiding principal that media and creative should work as one. And in just three short years they’ve accumulated nearly 100 staff, offices in Melbourne, Adelaide and New York, a treasure-trove of clients and a neat little collection of awards including Cannes, One Show, London International and Spikes. Ironically, by adopting the old school approach of combining creative and media, this brand new agency has a model that appears to be working.
In our first three weeks here alone we’ve witnessed two pitch wins and a third shortlisting (yet to be decided) and it became blindingly obvious that being independent allows things to move fast. For example, on my second day I broke my computer (some firewall issue with Redtube or something). Instead of phoning the I.T. Helpdesk I walked over to Gene our IT dude and using my mouth I said “Gene, I broke my computer.” Seven minutes later I was up and running again.
And it dawned on us that this is how independent agencies like CumminsRoss operate. If something needs to be done, you simply gather the people who can do the doing, and do it. You don’t log jobs and wait. It’s with this considered energy that they’ve managed to create so much in such a short time.
Don’t get us wrong, there is still work to be done before we are truly considered a destination agency. But with willing clients the likes of Jeep, Deakin University, Reflex, Dairy Australia and Nike, by all accounts there’s nothing holding us back. So before you book your flight to go and find that wonderful agency, give us a shout and we can tell you more about what we’ve got planned here. If nothing else, we’ll give you a good restaurant recommendation to try before you leave…
22 Comments
I don’t know. Smart was small and I’m still waiting for Levin to sort out whatever it is Yancy did to my computer.
That part about the IT dude made me chuckle.
nice.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Good on these guys for giving it a crack. I know them from a long way back and i reckon if anyone can make that place kick ass, it’s them. Good on you lads.
The biggest challenge Jim & Cuz will face in the smaller, less bureaucratic environment of Cummins Ross is whether the founding creative partners will be able to truly allow them to take control of the creative department. They shouldn’t be surprised when one day they call them into a ‘standard review’ meeting and say “We’re not sure we’re quite ready to relinquish the role of Creative Director.”
Refreshing.
Best of luck Cowsens and Jim. Scot, your computer broke because of too many prawn.
My previous comment was edited. But if you reed between the lines the astute reader will get the drift.
Guys, try letting your work do the talking first.
That’s what the ECD’s at destination agencies do.
What is the point of this puff piece?
Rubbishing the agencies who made their reputation?
Not having the balls to go out on your own?
Admitting Melbourne is a provincial backwater?
It is atrocious at best, embarrassing at worst.
No wonder Clients struggle with us, when this meandering self- effacing, I’m-in-the school is seen as insightful.
If you knew better….
Have you ever owned your own business?
These two talented chaps own their agency.
So it kind of renders your points moot
You said it, Cuz!
@Question old cd guy
They don’t ‘own their agency.’
They weren’t there in its beginnings either.
Just thought I’d clarify, in case it was unclear:
We are very proud of the agencies that have helped us throughout our time. We are proud of that fact that we’ve been able to enjoy a healthy 15 year career in Melbourne across only 4 agencies, doing solid stints in each, without the need to dart all over the shop. And sadly, two of these great agencies no longer exist. This is sad, we don’t want it to continue and we would like to be part of the solution.
We haven’t claimed that cumminsross is a destination agency yet, but we bloody well hope it becomes one.
If that’s atrocious and embarrassing, then we’re ok with that.
And just one final personal point @Seriously: it’s not an agency that makes your reputation – that bit’s up to the individual.
You left one of the world’s best agencies because you want to speak to IT guys directly? The only way to justify your decision is by making better work than you would have at Clems. Good luck.
@Question to old cd guy:
Welcome to the legal minefield of digital publishing. Although anyone has the freedom to be a columnist now, there are inherent dangers for the owner of a blog in which frank, uncomplimentary comments appear.
Not surprisingly, when my comment was moderated by the CB Blog to make it less defamatory it became a little confusing, if not nonsensical. However, if you change the plural collective noun back to one referring to a single individual, all is revealed.
My apologies for speaking in riddles.
Well done Jim and Cuz. You guys will make CR a destination for talent, which in turn will make it a destination for clients. Hope you guys smash it.
Jeeze Louise – Let it go people. We we are all friends. Are we not? I just want a healthy industry of big multi’s, little guys and middle guys so we all have work!!
Congrats Ben and Jim all the way from Kuala Lumpur! Keep on rocking.
What on god’s green earth is a “destination agency”?
ONYA MOONYA.