African chutzpah

What makes South African advertising creatives so special? Our talent can be found worldwide, occupying top jobs in agencies as far-flung as Shanghai, Sydney, New York, London and Paris. By general consensus our ad industry punches above its weight at international competitions. That immediately makes our winners marketable commodities on the world advertising stage. Take a big award at Cannes or the D&AD and you’re guaranteed an immediate job offer.

Few are better placed to explain it than Tony Granger, a graduate of the Hunt Lascaris finishing school back in the early Nineties and now one of the biggest names in global advertising. Dubbed “the man with the Midas touch”, his is a name that needs no explanatory caveat on Madison Avenue. Just say “Tony Granger” and everybody in advertising knows who you’re talking about. He’s made a speciality of resuscitating creatively moribund agencies. He turned around Bozell, previously a New York no-hoper, restored the flagging fortunes of Saatchi & Saatchi and has now turned Young & Rubicam into a creative hot-shop.

This year he chaired the press and film juries at Cannes. So if anyone knows why South Africans succeed overseas, he’s your man.

Granger talked to Tony Koenderman in Cannes. “South Africans have always had a global view,” he says. “Americans, the British and even Australians are more culture-bound. South Africans also have a strong work ethic. I find it helps I’m not American or British because I’m not seen as driving an agenda.”

But they have one big handicap. Their brash, tell-it-like-it-is approach can antagonise colleagues in bigger advertising centres, who often look down on immigrants from the distant outposts of a former empire. Conscious of that, Granger worked with a lifestyle coach for two years when he first arrived in the United States. “You only really understand a country when you live there,” he says. “The outside view of the US doesn’t reflect reality. If you’re willing to adapt and learn and take on the nuances, you’ll succeed. People who don’t talk well, don’t last well.

“This is a very exportable business. Whether you’re in Australia, Russia or Spain you face the same issues. But talent is also returning to SA. I recently brought Graham Lang back. Y&R has done well globally and should also be great in SA. So we’ve invested in talent here.”

His former creative lieutenants in New York – Jan Jacobs (another South African) and Leo Premutico – recently left Saatchi to start their own WPP-backed outfit, Johannes Leonardo. Both had worked with Granger on previous turnarounds: Jacobs at Bozell, Premutico at Saatchi.

Y&R is a changed shop, third last year at Cannes, the most-awarded network at D&AD and up from 12 to six on the Gunn Report. Granger has recruited 42 new chief creative officers in two years. “We’re really investing in creative and upgraded all the North American posts. Last year was our best creative year ever – and the second best financial year ever.”

Small wonder Y&R’s global CEO Hamish McLennan, when announcing Granger’s appointment, said: “Tony is – quite simply – one of the top creative talents in the business. He built his reputation by creating outstanding work that gets results in the marketplace. He’s earned respect from industry colleagues by being an inspiring, passionate leader.”