One Green Bean opens London office as it sets sights on micro-network
Buchanan and Thomas
PR agency One Green Bean has opened a London office with its Sydney managing director Matt Buchanan moving to the UK to spearhead the move, Mumbrella can reveal.
It comes after the agency, one of Australia’s most awarded, won a pitch for Costa Coffee, the UK’s largest coffee chain, business after being invited to pitch as a wildcard late last year.
The agency has set its sights on forming a Wieden+Kennedy style global micro network with strategically placed offices across different regions. The agency is part owned by French holding group Havas.
Anthony Freedman, group CEO, who co-founded the agency with Kat Thomas in 2007, said: “With the Sydney business in great shape, now felt the right time to explore the appetite for our offering and expertise internationally, with the support of our shareholders Havas Worldwide.”
In recent years the Sydney office has played key roles on campaigns including Virgin Mobile’s Fair Go Bro with Doug Pitt, and in 2011 became the first Australian agency to win a PR Lion at Cannes for Dunlop’s Well Worn Volley campaign. It also boasts clients including Commonwealth Bank and Woolworths and is currently the Mumbrella Awards PR Agency of the Year.
An initial team of five will report into Australian Buchanan, who joined the agency in 2012 from Ogilvy agency Pulse Communications. He previously worked at various London agencies for 12 years.
He said: “One Green Bean is a truly unique business – in terms of its people, its philosophy and its output. I’m thrilled to be taking our proposition to the UK market.”
The move also sees founder Thomas, who moved into an executive creative director role at the agency in 2013, take on the mantle of global ECD, with plans to target selected other markets with new offerings.
She said: “Marketers are savvy enough to know great creative thinking can come from anywhere. It’s an ideas economy and our business is built around delivering provocative, memorable work that works. We’re optimistic this will resonate in the UK as much as it does here in Sydney.”
the Sydney agency has also recently hired for head of PR at creative agency The Hallway Louise Pogmore as a PR lead.
The office officially opened its doors last Monday.
Alex Hayes
I may or may not be pleased to read about the OGBUK office opening. Hint: I am.
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Congrats to Kat, Matt and Anthony. Smart people who are great partners and deserve their success. Well done all.
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Having worked client side in Sydney and London I am very excited to hear that OGB UK have arrived. Can’t wait to see how they shake things up! Well done Kat, Matt and team
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This is destined to be a success with Matt heading it up. With his great reputation in both Australia and London, what a great move by OGB.
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Congrats Matt and Kat, awesome news! Cannot wait to see what OGB London will do.
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Congrats Matt and everyone at OGB!
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Fantastic News, huge congratulations guys ! It has been fantastic working with the OGB team and wonderful to see you go from strength to strength.
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Congrats guys.
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Welcome to London guys, it’s a little less sunny and much harder work than Sydney but fun all the same.
Come say hello to us in Fitzrovia!
Dan
Congrats Kat and team! Brilliant news for such a talented bunch of people. Will be keeping my eyes peeled for the work.
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Cashed-up colonials taking on the Poms. The establishment will crush the bean.
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Well deserved- have found them to be an excellent agency partner on our shared clients. All the best in the UK.
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Congratulations to Kat and Matt. This is great news, for them personally, for OGB and the UK industry as well. I’m sure the poorer weather will only increase the creativity from these guys! Looking forward to seeing their work in the UK very soon.
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