Pete Bosilkovski, Vince Lagana and Jeremy De Villiers launch new agency It’s Friday with founding client Domino’s

Pete Bosilkovski, Vince Lagana and Jeremy De Villiers have combined to launch new agency It’s Friday with founding client Domino’s already on board.

It’s Friday has been years in the making, with the trio having worked together in previous companies over 10+ years. Bosilkovski brings years of agency leadership as CEO at Clemenger BBDO Sydney, VMLY&R and Leo Burnett Sydney. Lagana was ECD at The Monkeys, Leo Burnett Sydney and spent two years at Goodby Silverstein & Partners San Francisco, while De Villiers has led operations at The C Suite, VMLY&R, Leo Burnett and Clemenger BBDO.

The agency, built on the ethos that energy beats everything, promises to power Brands with Energy across the customer journey.

Says Bosilkovski: “Just as Friday the day evokes that positive, memorable and energetic feeling, we believe brands fuelled with energy have the potential to leave behind a strong feeling or memory too. If you have the right emotional experience, you build a long-term memory bank. There are many factors as to why a brand’s energy gets depleted; legacy factors, category competition, lack of meaning and distinction. A brand that is charged with energy, will build brand value for consumers, meaning it helps build preference, advocacy and increases selection at point of purchase.”

Brand energy is the power behind your brand – like an emotional source you store, it gets charged battery-like by emotion and distinction, every time you send the right message, deliver the right information, or reward consumers’ emotional expectation with an ideal experience.

Says Bosilkovski: “Vinnie, Jez and I have worked in some of the best and most awarded creative companies in the world. After running companies for nearly a decade, it’s been a dream to build our own brand with likeminded people who deeply care about the type of product we put out to the world. Along the way we’ve learnt a lot about what we love and what we don’t. Although we’re launching in a pandemic, we felt the time was right. In fact, it was one of drivers behind the name and philosophy of It’s Friday.

“The name puts a smile on the face. It’s filled with energy, positivity, anticipation, fun and emotion. That’s what we want to infuse into our company from the ground up. We aim to do this for our clients’ brands, across all channels and experiences. We believe energy beats everything and all brands, no matter the category, have the power to leave behind a distinct feeling no matter the channel.”

Says Lagana: “I’m fortunate to have worked with some of the best talent in the industry and I’m excited to now call two of the very best my business partners. This has been a long time coming for Bos, Jez and me. They are the embodiment of the energy we want to bring to everything we do and true champions of our creative offering. Our independent It’s Friday free spirit allows us to do things our way, to question what seems unquestionable which in turn leads to braver creative work for our clients and a happier work environment.

“The nucleus is set and we’re beginning to build an eclectic team of ambitious, super talented curious people who we will announce soon.”

It’s Friday will offer a connected service offering across creativity, media, CX and PR.

Says Bosilkovski: “Too many brands get a little complacent with the channels they communicate in or the experiences they offer. Priorities get in the way and convenience sets in. The problem with that is consumers don’t guarantee you their time. Earning their time and attention is the battle, no matter if it’s a big piece of video content or a mobile billboard. In some instances, brands are perceived like a glass of water. The brand may be salient, and it serves a function but lacks energy and distinction. Brands pour lots of money into creating content that won’t be remembered in any meaningful way. The mission behind the business we are building is to be meaningful and memorable. As partners we bring different skills, but we are all obsessed about how brands show up in the world and culture.”

Says De Villiers: “We want to ensure that our offering impacts a brand’s energy in a connected way, from day dot. That’s the beauty of what we are building – we have no obstacles in our way. Our aim is to be able to shape brand experiences across owned, earned and paid with equal energy, and operate at the speed of an independent. The latter excites us, in particular when you work with brands that need to thrive in high paced, fiercely competitive categories. Over the years, we’ve worked with the biggest brands and most complex business models. This has shaped the orientation of our business model to work in any business category and offer the relevant services across the entire customer journey.”

Bosilkovski welcomed the opportunity to launch with iconic brand Domino’s as It’s Friday’s founding client.

Says Adam Ballesty, chief marketing officer, Domino’s: “I couldn’t be more excited to appoint It’s Friday as our new creative agency. Their creative horsepower talent with Vinnie and Jez is simply the best all-rounder and ops person I have ever come across and the industry all knows I have had a big crush on what Pete brings to the table for a long time. I still haven’t met a person that fights for an epic idea more than Pete. This team is part of our team like I have never seen. I’m thrilled to be able to work with Its Friday alongside my passionate and energizer bunny team to propel Domino’s into the next stage of growth and success. Watch this space!”

Adds Bosilkovski: “Domino’s has continued to crush convention in the ANZ market by leading the way through innovation. Having worked in the Quick Service Restaurant space for over 10 years, Domino’s is a brand I’ve admired, and I have been inspired by its fearless and bold impact in the category. The opportunity to partner with Adam, Tracy, Tenielle, Stephen, Lachlan, Michael and the team at Domino’s is a dream come true. They are an amazing bunch of passionate people with bold ambitions, who have Domino’s sauce running through their veins. Adam and I share similar beliefs and values. His passion and care for people, culture and connected thinking are infectious and his respect for the creative process is what differentiates him to most. I’m super excited by what the next chapter will bring as Domino’s and It’s Friday join forces to deliver brand energy and innovation like never before.”

It’s Friday has recently appointed a head of strategy, to be announced imminently.