Score: 9
Last year: 6
How the agency rates itself: 7
TMW Unlimited had a busy 2016. In-between picking up a record 38 awards, there was innovative work and a good new-business record. No surprise, then, that it was named ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s Customer Engagement Agency of the Year.
The 2015 "#Bigger issues" campaign for Lynx picked up a silver Cannes Lion and developed further in 2016 with "Men in progress", which explored masculinity in a series of online films.
Through its Labs arm, which helps brands embed a start-up culture in their business, TMW set up a digital production unit for Sony Mobile that the agency claims is able to make ads in less than a day – and sometimes in as little as two hours.
Chief executive Chris Pearce also oversaw two new divisions, relaunching social agency Things Unlimited as a wholly owned brand (it was previously a joint venture with sister PR shop Nelson Bostock Unlimited) and setting up Navigate Unlimited, which focuses on marketing technology.
On the new-business front, TMW won eight accounts including work from L’Oréal brands Clarisonic (which produces facial-cleansing brushes), Redken and Kératese after securing a place on the cosmetics giant’s integrated roster. The biggest victory, though, was the below-the-line business for Ferrero.
Among the year’s losses were the huge Sainsbury’s account, which has already been replaced by a major (as-yet-unnamed) retail client, and two brands that took their work in-house (Sony Professional and Center Parcs). TMW also resigned Brother due to conflict with Canon.
Pearce is currently busy repitching for the Infiniti account – which TMW has held for eight years – and looking to offset at least some of the revenue that Sainsbury’s provided. With the impact of Creston’s £75.8m acquisition by Dbay Advisors still to play out, TMW looks likely to have another eventful year.
How the agency describes its year in a tweet
Smashed industry awards, launched two new brands, grew our client base and boosted talent with top creative and planning hires.
Score key: 9 Outstanding 8 Excellent 7 Good 6 Satisfactory 5 Adequate 4 Below average 3 Poor 2 A year to forget 1 Survival in question