Global experiential marketing agency Jack Morton has expanded into the Middle East with the opening of an office in Dubai.
The agency, which is headquartered in Boston, has appointed Alex Apthorpe and Yvonne Hoffzimmer as joint managing directors, with the duo tasked with overseeing the development, growth and operations of Jack Morton in the Middle East. Both move from live communications agency, The Bridge, which they founded in 2008.
Although the agency has worked with clients in the Middle East for a number of years, the move marks the first time the agency has had a permanent regional presence.
Julian Pullan, Jack Morton’s EMEA president, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Jack Morton. Earlier this year we opened our office in Singapore, extending our strong Asia Pacific network. We are also well represented in the US and Europe, but the Middle East has been a glaring gap in our footprint. Whilst we have been working in the region with our global clients for many years, the opening of the Middle Eastern branch of our agency will massively improve our service; as well as allow us to develop new relationships with ME brands, many of whom have expressed an interest in the launch. Apthorpe and Hoffzimmer are a perfect fit to represent our brand in the region and will provide the very high level of service our clients have come to expect from Jack Morton.”
Jack Morton is at the cutting edge of its field, working with clients such as P&G, Nokia and GM. Part of the Interpublic Group (IPG), its regional operation will be based in the same building as IPG’s other agency brands, which fall under the MCN umbrella in the Middle East, although the agency is fully owned by IPG.
“We start with just the two of us, with support from the London office,” said Apthorpe. “But we’re recruiting and will be up to a full team by this time next year so we can service the majority of our clients without support from the UK.”
So what has happen to Momentum?? Does that mean the end of JL…….
So they have poached the two from The Bridge rather than buying into the market – looks like a false start really
They cant co-exist based in the same office or is this a switch of Momentum to Jack in the new year??
Momentum never existed as a real Agency except Phil Lynagh days when he was the President and made it a real Network.
Now it is just name and an invoice,using the same team and resources for conflicting accounts,the usual Fp7 stories.
But what fascinates me the most is that they closed as well their digital agency innovations; too bad they were good and with them going out of the game the industry lost a cutting edge Agency in favor of the dying elefent.
Touché Mr. Miqnas….
Your both right
Innovations boys have their own agency RBBIdeas, Dev and Amol which they will do very well
Momentum were run by the boys at LIGHTBLUE, Ian Lynagh & David Balfour while Phil was top dog at FP7
Brand Beat was also a great arm to the main agency – Noel Tabb and the big SA lad running Bellwether Brand Consultancy
Bring back Peter Davis and you might get back some good people and become a real network again!
We told Mr. Truth…
I am wondering how come Campaign Magazine is keeping quite On Nescafe win of Publicis from Fp7!!!!!!!!
Another blow up for the dream team Yaish/Miqnas
MacDonald was a strategic partnership and gone.
Nescafe has been a flagship for Fp7 and gone.
Coca-Cola and L’Oreal are the last two multinational in the Agency.
I see a dead man walking.
FP7 should actually just die a death and let McCann’s brand take over and start fresh
Gossip on the sands is that L’Oreal is talking to people
[Correction]
I’ve just been told that Innovations isn’t dead. FP7 had the grandiose idea of splitting Innovations into strategy and production. They decided to take the latter under their wing and cut the former out.
As would be expected, its blown in their faces. Designers and devs who can only produce but have no semblance of content strategy are not going to bring you business. The latest I’ve heard is that they spend all their time building their own portfolios and getting freelance work.
So Innovations continues to rebuild under UM and they’re still kicking ass and taking names.
Dev and Amol left Innovations’ and have RBBIdeas but when your wife handles marketing with a bigwig, it’s not tough to start on your own these days.
Touch of the green eyed monster Frank?
Anyway, seems everyone is going freelance right now or starting up with one client and hoping for the best
What are the big agencies doing or rather not doing to not keep these guys or is it that they think they are better than they are when they are just not worth the money