“For 21 years I haven’t cared whether we made a cent, so long as we made a difference. I didn’t just want to do ads, I wanted to do cool stuff. And so we’ve asked 21 incredible creative directors*, all past (and some present) Net#workers, to come together to share and cultivate new ideas, meeting once a year to create idealistic initiatives that hopefully make dents in the universe,” says Schalit. 

To kick off #21CD, Schalit will work alongside industry stalwart David Prior and the group of CD’s to create a book and documentary video to charter Net#work’s madcap rollercoaster ride of magic and mayhem over the last two decades. They’ll attempt to unravel the mystique of unleashing creativity, of what it takes to truly liberate breakthrough ideas, by exploring this thing that is called ‘Creative Direction’.

Schalit says that it’s the combination of several dynamics that has led to the success of the agency: “Our spontaneous vibe, our culture and values, our respect for individuality and creative maverick’isms, coupled with our healthy disrespect for convention and playing it safe, our passion for idealism, purity of thought, freedom of expression and personal growth over and above our own.”

Group CEO and co-founder Keith Shipley says that at the outset, they established a solid bedrock on which imagination could flourish. “We have always focused on trying to liberate talent beyond the creative department, cultivating strong values, stable systems and happy people to allow the chaos to thrive,” he says.

Net#work BBDO has taken home 18 Loerie Grands Prix in almost as many years and more than their fair share of Creative Circle Ads of the Year. Shipley says that what’s really valuable is that the APEX Awards for advertising effectiveness that the agency has won, are in most cases for the same work that garnered creative awards. “It’s just more proof that creativity really works; that great ideas can change your business and your bottom line.”

Unprecedented for a South African agency, three of these ideas went on to earn the industry’s premier international award, a Cannes Grand Prix. First up was the solar-panelled billboard for Nedbank. The billboard provides power to a school kitchen in the township of Alexandra that feeds 1200 students a hot meal every day. Not only was it the first Outdoor Cannes Grand Prix for South Africa, but it started a worldwide trend for socially-conscious work.

The second and third Cannes Grand Prix were brand insight-driven radio campaigns for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite and Mercedes-Benz safety features. “And since then we’re rather chuffed to have kept our local Mercedes-Benz client glowing Gold, surprisingly having amassed more heavy metal accolades from our small corner than Mercedes-Benz anywhere else in the world,” says Shipley.

Whilst Schalit feels a lurch every time one of his posse heads off to carve their own path, he’s also strangely proud of the impact the agency has had on the industry, with four leading breakaways formed over the years: Joe Public, Ireland Davenport, HouseOfBrave and most recently, KingJames II. In addition, past Net#workers now lead creative departments at some of the country’s top ad agencies, including The Jupiter Drawing Room, FCB, Lowe, Y&R and Ogilvy, both at home and further afield in London, Sydney and New York.

Added to the long list of achievements over the 21 years, Schalit and Net#work BBDO Group managing director Boniswa Pezisa founded the world’s first non-profit agency, the MAL Foundation. One of their growing initiatives is the SEED (School Extended Education Design) Library programme. To date, seven libraries have been designed and built in township schools around the country, from Alex to Limpopo; from North West to Soweto and onwards to Mitchells Plain. 

“In a country like ours, creativity has the power to change things, to put something back in a way that touches people. Ideas are our most enduring and stable currency right now and the most cost effective way to add value,” says Schalit.

His hope for the formation of the Creative Leadership Foundation is that it inspires and sustains a force that keeps fighting the good fight, one insanely ambitious step at a time. 

The creative directors who will be involved include*: 
  • Pepe Marais - CCO/co-founder Joe Public;
  • Brett Morris - chairperson(prev CCO) FCB;
  • Brad Reilly - ECD Net#work BBDO;
  • Vanessa Pearson - CCO/Co-founder HouseOfBrave;
  • Thomas Cullinan - ECD Jupiter Drawing Room;
  • Mike Barnwell - ECD FCB (Cape Town);
  • Stuart Stobbs - ECD 1886 (FCB);
  • John Davenport - CCO/co-founder Ireland Davenport;
  • Phil Ireland - CCO/co-founder Ireland Davenport;
  • Neo Mashigo - ECD Ogilvy (Johannesburg);
  • Rui Alves - ECD Y&R;
  • Theo Ferriera ECD Aqua Online;
  • Mariana o Kelly - ECD Ogilvy;
  • Wing Wing Mdulwa - CD FCB Johannesburg;
  • Rob Mclennan - CCO/Co-founder KingJamesII;
  • Graeme Jenner - CCO/Co-founder KingJamesII;
  • Kam Naidoo – ECD Actuate;
  • Liam Olding - CD 140BBDO;
  • Tim Beckerling - CD MetropolitanRepublic;
  • Brent Singer - CD TBW HuntLascaris (Johannesburg);
  • Bruce Anderson - ECD Lowe (Johannesburg);
  • Jenny Glover  - CD TBWA HuntLascaris (Johannesburg);
  • Gerry Human – CCO Ogilvy London;
  • Asheen Naidu – ECD Paterson Y&R Sydney;
  • Juilan Watt – ECD Host, Sydney;
  • Gary du Toit – CD BBDO Ney York; and
  • Jonathan Santana – CD Mother, London.

For more information, you can connect with Mike Schalit on Twitter.