THE AUSTRALIAN MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22 2008 36 MEDIA www.theaustralian.com.au Start-up Eleven wants to fill retail space No worries as Lara Sinclair THREE senior staffers from retail agency Ideaworks set up shop on their own last week, forming a new full-service retail business called Eleven Communications. NRMA sports The trio — former executive creative director Jonathan McCauley, former operations director John McLachlan and former head of art Ryan Fallow- field — aim to fill a gap in the market between high-end brand new tagline agencies and small, tactical mar- keting agencies. Simon Canning that after two so it’s important that the brand is ‘‘We reckon there’s a pretty Branding years, if people warm and approachable. ‘‘Our big gap between the big brand had not made a brief was to pull away from the agencies that can come up with a IAG’S insurance brand, NRMA claim on their pack and defy category conven- great brand idea (and agencies Insurance, has embarked on a insurance they tion. It is very un-NRMA.’’ that can) implement day-to-day massive repositioning, dropping developed a level Brand consultancy Brand brand promotional work,’’ Mr its familiar ‘HELP’ advertising of resentment in Council began work on the McCauley said. tagline after more than 20 years. paying pre- NRMA brand two years ago, ‘‘It gets funnelled off into a The brand has been running a Argent miums, feeling while STW-owned ad agency factory (staffed) by juniors. series of teaser ads telling people that they had not Human has created the ads for ‘‘Building brands for retailers to ‘‘uncomplicate’’ their lives got their money’s worth. the campaign. is what we specialise in because before it unveiled the new ‘Un- The new position is a bid to Human managing director that’s what we did at Ideaworks, worry’ tagline last night. invest value in paying insurance Kate Walker admitted devising a but we reckon we can do it NRMA Insurance group mar- by portraying the freedom from new campaign to replace ‘HELP’ smarter.’’ keting manager Lynette Argent worry that comes with being was a challenge. The last high-profile former told Media the move was an insured. ‘‘‘HELP’ has been such a Ideaworks staffer to leave the attempt to escape the increasing ‘‘We wanted a statement that strong idea for them and it was commoditisation of the insurance agency, co-founder Stephen Kul- reminded consumers what they going to take something big to mar, attacked listed global adver- market. get, not what it costs,’’ she said. top that,’’ Ms Walker said. IAG is understood to have tising group WPP’s approach to Ms Argent said the decision to ‘‘But we think ‘Unworry’ is a business in an aggressive parting been working on the rebranding step away from the two-decade very worthy successor — it will for almost two years. attack, saying it forced agencies old ‘HELP’ positioning — which have the legs to take the brand to put profits ahead of relation- ‘‘For some time now, the had originally come from the where it needs to go.’’ category has been stuck in a rut ships. NRMA’s road service unit — had Media agency Carat has nego- and we realised that we needed to Mr McCauley said the Eleven not been taken lightly. tiated a massive media buy for trio did not share the same views. change the conversation, to stop Breaking free: Eleven Communications’ Jonathan McCauley, left, Ryan Fallowfield and John McLachlan Picture: Bob Finlayson talking about what insurance However, she said that ‘HELP’ the brand extending from TV to ‘‘We wish Ideaworks well and had become part of the DNA of outdoor, print and radio. we think there’s plenty of space costs and start talking about what showing the agency will ‘‘go one lot of experience in creating retail said. Mr McCauley said the retail retail overseas and we’re starting the brand and would be forever The campaign will also feature for both of us to exist,’’ Mr it buys every day,’’ Ms Argent ’’ ’’ ’’ associated with it even though it on takeaway coffee cups. McCauley said. louder than 10 . environments. sector had shifted from a Wal- to see a bit of it here. said. Mr McCauley said there were A point of difference from Mart style focus on discounting Mr Fallowfield said Eleven ‘‘At the end of the day, what was no longer a part of the Ms Argent said NRMA Insur- ‘‘There are a lot of medium- marketing. ance had made a long-term sized businesses that big agencies no official clients, but the agency other start-ups will be Mr to more of a focus on creativity wanted to take an ‘‘innovative’’ our customers buy is the freedom was already working on a number McLachlan’s experience running from the medium-sized chains. approach to retail creativity. to get on with living their lives ‘‘NRMA will always have commitment to the new brand can’t tackle properly. A key part of collaborative projects with the operational side of retail ‘‘If you look at it on a global ‘‘ without having to worry about ‘HELP’ as part of its DNA,’’ she positioning. of it is staying small. Most creative people in this other agencies. the what-ifs.’’ said. ‘‘We are looking at ‘Unworry’ ‘‘We want to cut out a lot of accounts, which typically require level, five years ago, the big push country don’t understand retail Ms Argent said the insurance ‘‘If we tried to rub it out of the to be our brand position for years the (layering) big agencies do day The trio has worked on big a high volume of fast-turnaround was to engineer costs out of the and don’t really want to,’’ Mr category had ‘‘lost its lustre’’. DNA we couldn’t. ‘HELP’ is to come,’’ she said. in and day out. retail brands including Westfield, print, catalogue and point-of-sale business,’’ Mr McCauley said. Fallowfield said. ‘‘We have become very undif- driven from the motoring and The ads will use lines such as ‘‘We want to employ creative BigW, Mitre 10, Supercheap Auto work. ‘‘People are expecting more ‘‘But when you look around ferentiated and so we have been service perspective and is reac- ‘Unworry’, ‘Unbamboozle’ and people who can deal directly with and its boating, camping and ‘‘It’s always been the holy grail than just low cost. They want the world, people like Ikea, Tar- on quite a journey,’’ she said. tive. So lets focus on what they ‘Undo what you did’. clients and solve problems fishing spin-off BCF. for retail — high-end creative smart value. They don’t want to get and Selfridges are producing ‘‘Our market has become very (customers) get everyday. What The initial ad campaign is directly.’’ ‘‘We’ve had a lot of experience thinking combined with a ruth- feel like they’re shopping at a some of the most innovative work commodified and it is very ‘doom we will be is more human and slated to run for the next month The name Eleven Communica- of designing brand identities,’’ lessly efficient delivery mecha- discounter any more. in the business. That’s the kind of and gloom’.’’ less corporate. We know people before more elements and prod- tions is a reference to movie spoof Mr McCauley said. nism. And that’s what we’ve ‘‘I think there has been a work we are interested in doing in She said research had shown can be cynical about big business uct ads are introduced. This Is Spinal Tap aimed at ‘‘The other thing we have is a constructed,’’ Mr McLachlan creative renaissance going on in this market.’’ Reclusive media moguls are the nation’s quiet achievers From Page 33 seller and a web design and maybe one or two of them will Colourful tycoons a law unto themselves marketing division. It also oper- want to take over.’’ His reach extends into Queens- ates a commercial printing opera- land through stations in Too- From Page 33 Queensland. Bill owned a stack year. ‘‘We must have dinner tion. GEOFF HANDBURY is happy to woomba and Gympie. of radio stations and was Harold!’’ The McPhersons have been take a back seat at his ACE Radio Caralis uses the once fabled I commented that I’d always influential in Channel Ten in ‘‘Sure Bruce, Tre Scalini (in part of the Goulburn Valley in Broadcasters network of Victor- 2SM in Sydney, which he bought wanted to use it to build a home. Queensland. Sydney), an early dinner, I’ll Victoria since 1888, but in the ian stations these days. His farmer in 2000 for $8.2 million, to ‘‘No problem,’’ said Alan I flew from Melbourne to come from Melbourne.’’ 1960s sold 25 per cent of their son-in-law, Rowly Patterson, is generate programming for his Scott, ‘‘I own the quarry.’’ Longreach in the big plane, only ‘‘Good, I’ll travel up from company to The Age to fund new the group’s chairman and a ‘‘super network’’ stations, ignor- The next issue was how to get to find two smaller aircraft Wollongong,’’ said Bruce. presses. After Fairfax took over grand-daughter sits on the board ing the lucrative Sydney radio the stone from Mt Gambier to waiting to take us to the property At 7.30pm still no Bruce and The Age, its interest grew to 47 as a non-executive director. He is market. It is this kind of counter- Melbourne. ‘‘No problem,’’ he — one for people, one for bags! no phone call. I’d been stood up.