Ikon Sydney goes full service with STW closing Moon Communications after 20 years
Connaghan
Moon Communications has been shuffled into the Ikon Communications group as the media agency goes full service, Mumbrella can reveal.
The move sees staff from the Moon and Shift agencies moved into a newly formed Ikon Sydney Group, seeing the Moon brand disappear from the market after 23 years.
It comes two months after Moon’s biggest client Westfield moved to a bespoke agency model, taking staff from across the STW group, including Moon and Ikon, and moving them to a central team.
That’s very very sad news – I loved my time there and so many great people went on to do amazing things. The design work was outstanding and genuinely world-class in its day. End of an era in a way, but what a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
so basically, three agencies were merged into one Group less than 12 months ago under a new CEO.
that Group has now completely disappeared completely (weren’t there 70 people claimed when the merger happened?) and the CEO somehow gets another agency leadership job.
no wonder he’s smiling!
I expect Mike meant “magnet”. All makes sense, though.
Sometimes you back the wrong horse. Sad for all involved though.
So, you’re gonna lob a bunch of media buyers at a struggling agency together with a bunch of creatives from a struggling agency and WHOOSHKA – you’ve got a “serious, modern-day fit-for-purpose, content driven newsroom?”
Right. Got it.
The newsroom will be driven by content.
In my experience, when you add together two agencies that do not have their shit together, you don’t typically create one that does.
I believe that’s the smartest thing to do, regardless. There’s others seriously thinking about doing the same thing. The market’s now ready for it, following the way some media agencies began dabbling in areas in which they have no expertise and should have stayed away from. The media agency sector is in real danger of over-reaching itself – has already done so in many cases. Get greedy in this life and you end up with nothing.
Michael Connaghan has overseen a very astute re-structure. It will do well.
Alan Robertson.
Kinesis Media Pty Ltd
I’ll miss Moon. Some of the best years of my career with the best people.
Yes sad to hear of the end of Moon. I also enjoyed my time there from a small design agency that Nick Morgan and Stuart O’Brien built into a fully fledged brand agency. Pity the founders weren’t mentioned here.
I second that notion Greg. The friendships I still have to this day are a testament to the culture that made Moon so special.
@hmmmm
hmmm
So effectively the Moon brand got sacrificed to retain Westfield revenue. That revenue has now shifted into a new ‘bespoke’ agency model. Presumably this bespoke agency will be like Human and Shift, that also no longer exist.
So much for the value and longevity of a brand. Which is ironic given said agency group is meant to be good at building brands.
Very sad news. From my perspective ( as a recruiter) , Moon was one of the very few places that actually had a distinct culture, as opposed to just thinking and saying so. I’m certain the people I helped put into Moon would agree, and the places those people are at now are also better for Moons existence….
Sounds like they’ve read the Enero Guide To Company Management.