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LESSONS from the Boot of a Car By Reg Lascaris Presented by Marlize Terblanche-Smit

Date: May 2014

Inspiring thought leadership across Africa

INTRODUCTION

Entrepreneurs and Optimists

Lessons from the Boot of a Car - journey of successful entrepreneur: career, business & life lessons

Lascaris - SA businesses too cautious & pessimistic – written for optimists. “The future is theirs because the pessimists don’t want it or can’t see it.”

Unfamiliar with work of advertising agency TBWA Hunt Lascaris, wrong - most iconic SA adverts Nando’s barking chicken Barry Hilton in Savanna BMW mouse

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INTRODUCTION

Creating jobs – economic growth

Micro-business to world class advertising agency out of Africa – TBWA Hunt Lascaris 30th anniversary (2013) 3rd best ad agency worldwide (2012)

Be bold – business risks backed by hard work & dedication, world class quality standards

Entrepreneurial success: vision, discipline & people (teamwork)

Africans = creative Encourage: entrepreneurship & owning your

job Small businesses salvation of SA

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BEGINNINGS

Career

BComm, quit, travel Europe Mining industry admin (2 days) Music industry – recording engineer

(fired) Filming industry – distribute films to

prisons Advertising – 1970, 1 year no job Offered work for free – Central Adv.

Agency (3m) - experience Next high profile agency & small creative

agency

Lesson: Never give up

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GOING PLACES

Advertising

Hands advertising mid 70’s Lack financial skills Kuper Hands launched John Hunt – copywriter Shared goals: advertising is ideas driven

Lessons: Reputation is everything (good name) Finish what you start (education)

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AFRICA’S FIRST WORLD-CLASS AGENCY

Planning

Own agency Hunt Lascaris to be the first world-class agency out of Africa. “We sat down drinking, wrote that down and

laughed! We drank some more and the more we drank the more chuffed we were with that mission statement. The next day, once we’ve sobered up, we wondered if we shouldn't leave the whole thing”

Vision – feel it before you think it Goal was to shake up advertising through

"creativity without compromise". Statement of intent: “Because life’s too short to be

mediocre”

Lessons: Aim high – very high Set big bold goals

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AFRICA’S FIRST WORLD-CLASS AGENCY

Setting-up

People: creative & strategy Failing to secure funding asked friend, Neville

Mckai, founder of the Kelly Group, for help. Kelly 1st client

Chasing business & creative pitches Boot of car to Jhb Country Club Office space and clients: Nashua, Alitalia…

Lessons: Passionate people essential to business success Stand for something (quality of ideas) Perceptions are important (image and expectations)

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HUNT LASCARIS TBWA

Credibility

International connections 1984, TBWA (New York agency) affiliation

New clients and challenge status quo SA developed socially & economically,

advertising industry tracks changes, sometimes even leads them

Became industry leaders Used influence to try change effect of

apartheid & HIV/Aids

Lessons: Think ahead (new goals) Be opportunistic

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HUNT LASCARIS TBWA

Credibility

Lascaris (and Nick Green – Markinor) stirred up controversy Idea that tastes, attitudes and aspirations are

same in black and white consumers not dictated by a person’s pigmentation, revolutionary in the 1980s, booed off stage

1989 – clients: City Lodge, SABC Radio, Premier Milling, etc. and….BMW BMW pivotal campaign gave credibility Nando’s great for agency, CEO demanded give

him something that scares him

Lessons: Passion is everything (passion & creativity drivers of value) Be prepared for consequences (taking a stand) 9

Campaigns that made the difference

ANC first election campaign – selected agency 24-hour agency, two shifts 12 hours each,

specialized division working on ANC’s election campaign

Lesson from Madiba: listen (silent & listen contain the same letters)

Challenging clients to do extraordinary BMWs “Beat the Bends”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM8s1ilxab8

Comparative advertising illegal in SA, ad over weekend, Monday banned, already successful, pulled ad AAA ruling

Lessons: Watch the competition Leaders listen

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AD CAMPAIGNS

Campaigns that made the difference

Most iconic campaign - little white mouse BMW 3-series (1990s) Introducing concept of power steering Client wanted ¼ page print ad, agency idea mouse

running on steering wheel demonstrate power steering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf0jvHfTODw

Only South African ad in the hall of fame in New York – most awarded TV ad in SA

Lessons: Small beginnings can lead to big things

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AD CAMPAIGNS

Campaigns that made the difference

Cape Town office – 1990 More national clients, Tiger Brands, Standard

bank, City Lodge, etc… Kardies – Wild thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGgV0OM8z6c

Nandos’ barking chicken https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BarvvRj5RPg

Societal role: HIV/Aids, Peace Movement, 1993 International Ad Agency of the Year (Ad

Age) 2000 Africa & Middle-East

Lessons: Relate, don’t dictate (in touch with customers feelings) If you give you get 12

AD CAMPAIGNS

Reinvention

2003, agency in decline, lost edge & creativity, losing clients Instead of thinking work done & clients special,

employees grew arrogant Lascaris says ‘like to draw veil over those years,

some important lessons arise from failures’

2004/06: New generation of management; founder’s trap

2007: reinvention

Lessons: Diversity is strength Beware the rear-view mirror

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A NEW ERA

The Future

New generation of entrepreneurs New consumers – talk back, social media Make it in business and in life

Set goals See the future Work hard & with passion Stand up to challenges Surround yourself with good people Keep a balance between work & play

Lessons: Use a compass not a map QR codes back of book - watch Hunt Lascaris’ advertisements on your smartphone

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CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Thank you!