Aesop, a new brand story agency, is to launch on Thursday 12th May. The agency, founded by Martin Grimer, Roger Hart, Ed Woodcock and Jim Paterson, will look to reinvent the concept of brand story telling. Using its unique story model, if offers brands a fresh way of looking at how they interact with their audiences and how people relate to them. The one-stop agency model will deliver strategic and creative results across all disciplines and channels.
Aesop’s clients at the time of launch include Alex James, GSK, Ribena, Shell, LJ Group, Soap and Glory, Newcastle Brown Ale, Salamanca Capital, Wellesley and others that can’t yet be revealed.
Martin Grimer will be the agency’s Executive Creative Director, Roger Hart becomes the agency’s CEO, Ed Woodcock its Strategy Director and Jim Paterson Commercial Director. The founders all worked together at Blue Marlin and between them have experience across a range of sectors and clients. They have gathered a talented group of 30 to join the integrated team across design, strategy, packaging, digital, social, internal engagement and marketing promotion, which comes in the form of award winning promotional marketing agency Steam.
Roger began his career at the Mars Corporation in New Zealand. He went on to work in the UK for Martell Cognac and Safeway Stores before moving to Blue Marlin in 2005 as Client Services Director. He progressed to UK Managing Director by 2009 and grew the London studio into the most profitable of the global business. He is commercially and client focused and his background in both retail and global brand development ensures the establishment of profitable and effective client relationships.
Roger said: “Aesop will not operate like a traditional creative agency. We intend to break the mould in terms of how we help our clients develop and tell their brand stories. The industry is ready for a new approach and the real benefit to clients is more coherent and effective brand activity across channels, and more cost-effective co-ordination of brand stakeholders, which includes different departments, or partner agencies.”
Martin Grimer worked for 10 years as Creative Director at WPP’s Coley Porter Bell and then went on to work as Executive Creative Director at Blue Marlin Brand Design. His award-winning track record comes from his work for Unilever, Cadbury, Pernod Ricard, Britvic, Kimberly Clark and Nestlé. His reputation as someone who is passionate and inspirational has led to appearances on The Apprentice and High Street Dreams as a creative luminary.
Martin said: “From a creative point of view, our story model opens up new opportunities by unlocking the potential creativity of brands in a whole new way. It allows us to do better creative work and really is our magic token. Personally I’m really excited about working with new disciplines, new brands and new types of creative people. We really do have a first class team.”
Ed Woodcock has a successful track record as a link between the commercial and creative aspects of business. He worked at KAE: marketing intelligence and Distillery, now 1HQ, before joining Blue Marlin. He played a pivotal role on a number of successful pitches.
Ed commented: “Aesop, strategically, is going to give clients a very different and liberating point of view – that it’s not an idea that lies at the heart of a brand, but a compelling, durable narrative that people can buy into time and time again, which gives everyone involved an engaging role to play.”
Jim Paterson, Aesop’s Commercial Director, worked for over 10 years experience within the WPP Group, working predominantly in the UK and continental Europe with Coley Porter Bell, The Henley Centre and Enterprise IG. At Blue Marlin he was responsible for worldwide financial, legal and tax control of a fast expanding brand design group, with offices in London, New York, Bangkok, Singapore and Sydney.
Aesop’s approach has won the team a range of high profile clients ahead of launch, some of which will launch campaigns within two months of the agency opening its doors. Watch this space. To find out more visit www.aesopagency.com.
