ROLLINSVILLE, COLORADO (USA)--ICOM, a leading global network of independent advertising and marketing communications agencies, has appointed Gullan&Gullan Advertising, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Noah’s Ark Communications, Lagos, Nigeria, to represent the network in their respective countries.
This rapidly developing region of the world is important to ICOM as the network’s clients look to expand in fast-growing markets. Advertising and promotional activity is expected to increase in South Africa next year because the country is host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup starting in June. ICOM is also represented in a third African country, Ghana, by Primus Advertising. These agencies are part of ICOM’s EMEA region, now comprised of members in 30 countries.
Gullan&Gullan provides a variety of integrated marketing communications services, including digital and PR, to a growing client list of recognized brands: Barclays Bank, CNBC Africa, Radisson Hotels, South African Breweries, Vespa scooters and numerous local accounts.
The agency was founded and is run by husband-and-wife Michael Gullan, managing director, and Desiree Gullan, creative director. Mr. Gullan said he is looking for a sense of community in the global marketplace. “Our agency has been growing consistently since we opened four-and-a-half years ago. We are eager to interact with our global peers to better understand their insights as agency owners from a diverse range of cultures, and we want to learn from, contribute to and cooperate with agencies from around the world,” he said.
Noah's Ark was founded two years ago by one of Nigeria's top creative stars, Lanre Adisa, who worked at Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Grey and left TBWA as creative director to start Noah’s Ark. The agency’s clients include Cadbury’s Bournvita cocoa drink, Dulux paint, Indomie noodles, Lotus Capital, Yardley soap and restaurant chains: Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn and Pizza Inn.
Mr. Adisa says he represents a new generation of agencies in his country determined to put Nigeria on the world map of advertising by producing top quality work guided by international standards.
ICOM is the most geographically balanced of the international independent advertising and marketing communications networks, with more than 70 member agencies in 50-plus countries. Founded in 1950 as the National Federation of Advertising Agencies, ICOM offers clients an alternative to the huge and increasingly similar agency groups. Today, the network has billings of US$2.4 billion and gross income exceeding US$390 million.
Contacts:
Nancy Giges
nancy@icomagencies.com
1-914-683-5108
Gary Burandt
burandt@icomagencies.com
1-720-261-4829