Maurice and Charles Saatchi celebrate 40 years in advertising at star-studded event in London

As M&C Saatchi founders Maurice and Charles celebrated 40 years in advertising in London last night, worldwide chairman Tom Dery reflects on the agency’s first 15 years of operation with an eye to the future.

The most famous siblings in advertising commemorated four decades astride British advertising and culture with a big party at London’s Saatchi Gallery last night.

On the guest list at ‘Saatchistory’ were Sir Elton John, Bono, Sir David Attenborough; present and past Prime Ministers John Major, David Cameron and Baroness Thatcher (pictured with Lord Maurice Saatchi), celebrated artists, actors and titans of British advertising.

It is part of advertising folklore that Maurice and Charles broke away from the agency network they founded in 1970 to start up M&C Saatchi in 1995.

Dery was immediately brought on board to launch the Australian arm ofthe business and from nothing has been instrumental in building it intoone of Australia’s largest and most influential marketing servicescompanies.

Its client roster boasts many of the nation’s most iconic andprestigious brands – Qantas, Woolworths, Westfield, ANZ, David Jonesand Australia itself to name a few.

“It’s great to take a moment to applaud the enormous amount Maurice andCharles have achieved in this industry and many other fields,” saysDery.

“A major component of the Saatchi story is M&C Saatchi. The networkhas been very fortunate to grow and expand around the world in everyone of its 15 years of operation.”

However, M&C Saatchi is not about to rest on its laurels, saysDery: “The network in general and the Australian arm in particular haveinvested a lot in recent years to implement structures and initiativesthat will enable the agency to best tackle the myriad challenges andopportunities our clients face in a rapidly evolving market and mediaspace. So it’s what’s in front of us and what’s around the corner thatreally excites me.”