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John Ford reopens The One Centre

John Ford mumbrellaThe One Centre is back and so is founder John Ford, Mumbrella can reveal.

The branding powerhouse, which employed about 60, was among the Australian marketing industry’s highest profile victims of the global downturn.

Founder John Ford has obtained the backing of private equity firm The Adcock Group to return to the fray after the company went into voluntary administration last April owing staff and suppliers thousands of dollars.

In a guest posting for Mumbrella, Ford said that he understood the anger of some of those affected by the company’s closure:

“I am deeply saddened by what happened to our staff, clients and suppliers and hope to rebuild those relationships and trust with time.”  

The new company – The One Centre Group Pty Limited – will focus on developing branded arts and entertainment initiatives.

Ford said: “The new One Centre will be positioned as an arts and entertainment company developing unique branded properties, platforms and programs for clients. “The arts is the most exciting space I can see. It offers our clients a whole other world of creativity. Our distinctive capability will be ‘strategy + artistry’.”

The company will be “Flexibly structured, with a core team of strategists and producers and global network of artists, the company will work from concept to public release, strategising, conceptualising, producing, distributing and promoting its arts and entertainment properties across media.”

Its output will include graphic arts, digital arts, film and video, performing arts, architecture, industrial design, fashion, photography and music.

Referring to the company’s crash, Ford said: “The One Centre was a fantastic company hit by the perfect storm. A $1.25 million bad debt in Dubai, sharp downturn, costly downsizing and no capital life-lines. “The product was great, people highly talented, clients blue chip – it was simply a financial catastrophe that took us out prematurely in the darkest days of the GFC.”

He added: “Unfortunately, we suffered from our export success,” Ford said. “Over 50% of our revenue was from international clients. I think many people didn’t quite understand the GFC carnage outside Australia.”

Ford secured the The One Centre trademark and IP from administrators Grant Thornton in May 2010.

Foundation clients include “a top five global company” and well as a major Australian retail brand.

Ford said: “I believe the new One Centre will be a better business for what’s happened. I feel I have all necessary experience and I know what it takes to build a great company.”

Ford founded The One Centre in 1999 after working at agencies including Batey and TBWA.

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