Here's to the O'SCHOOL

At the risk of contradicting myself, the other day I was day dreaming about one advertising agency that was on fire some time back when it came to producing Brand Kings in Kenya,....that agency was Ogilvy & Mather of yesteryear.

If there was a model of an agency that I wish could be revived, it is the great O&M of back in the day. Why? Well O&M back in the day was an agency that believed in the importance of training personnel and instilling great brand building values.

If you were identified as future potential, you would be immediately shipped of to the UK or South Africa and get trained on the Ogilvy way. Let alone that, the agency used to invest in training its own clients with workshops ranging from how radio works to how the briefing process works.

Take a look at the movers and shakers who are all O&M Alumni: Linus Gitahi - CEO Nation Media Group,
Brenda Mbathi - EABL hot shot, George Lutta - MD of Media Initiative, Rose Kimotho - Who started regional reach and now owner of Kameme and K24, the list goes on and on. A bunch of great creatives also emerged from the O'School including Eric Ndavi, Michael Munyi, Munyi Mutahi, Mwashumbe, Josie Kamunyo - owner of the highly successful Mojo Productions and the Late great Tony Msalame.

Also worth mentioning was the great O&M bar, which itself was a symbol of the creative spirit. Work hard, Play hard. The agency ate, drank, slept and breathed advertising passion.

Those were the good old days when passion reigned and people were out to deliver work "terrific" and not just "tomorrow".

Will Kenya ever see an agency where creatives are so passionate and suits so knowledgeable, hmmmmm I wonder.

Hey, that's just my opinion.