By Darren Gilbert

“Advertising is experiencing a shift at the moment,” explains De Nobrega, who acts as managing director. “There is a lot of press going around about what is right with advertising, but also what is wrong with the industry. We know that. Things need to change. Everything is very much siloed at the moment.” But, instead of burying their heads in the sand, the duo have decided to do something about it.

“This is where we’re hoping Kilmer & Cruise will come in,” points out De Nobrega. “We’re attempting to build an agency of the future here.” Of course no one knows what the future is. Or even where the industry is going. De Nobrega readily admits that. “But if we can build an agency that can adapt to the industry as it changes, we’re ahead of everyone else,” he adds. Of course, saying that is one thing, showing they are serious is another. Fortunately, one only needs to look at the way De Nobrega and Wessels have structured their fledgling agency to see that they are truly serious.

At the base of Kilmer & Cruise stand three pillars on which they plan to build an adaptable agency: agility, collaboration and creativity. In this industry, your messaging needs to be agile because the consumer space is constantly evolving. Kilmer & Cruise also try to use this philosophy internally by making their processes as agile as possible. There are no job bags; no timesheets. Nothing that you’d find in your average agency. But that doesn’t mean their processes aren’t sound. They’re just that much more direct.

“Every decision we make, we try and underpin it by two things: ideas and execution,” says De Nobrega. This means they continually evaluate everything they do. “Let’s say we’re looking at a workflow chart or a management tool. Or even the chairs we use,” he says. Is it going to make a positive impact? If not, they rework it. Rejig the process. Find a more productive way of doing it.

“At Kilmer & Cruise, we’re constantly changing and evolving,” says Wessels. “If an element doesn’t work, we will try something else until something fits.” It’s a refreshing to hear. And especially so if you consider this is an industry where egos are known to run rife. It also aligns perfectly with their second pillar: collaboration.

Mind you, this isn’t ‘outsourcing’ with a collaboration label tacked onto it for ease of reference. It also isn’t only about working alongside amazing talent. Instead, it is about expanding creative horizons by working with outside partners. De Nobrega explains: “We need to look at people outside of our industry to give us a sense check of where we are. To help us grow and develop. Otherwise the industry becomes a stagnant pool.”

At the same time, the more you collaborate, the more trust there is between client and agency. “This means that the idea and the work gets the focus that it needs,” points out De Nobrega. After all, creativity doesn’t just happen. While you may have an ‘aha’ moment, you still need to act on it. At the same time, it’s important to note that you can’t grow in this industry without being creative. In fact, you can’t even build an agency of the future if you don’t do incredible work every day.

Both De Nobrega and Wessels understand this all too well. They are under no illusion as to the task they’ve set themselves. And they’ll tell you they’re not special to boot. They’ll tell you that anyone can do this. But I’m not so sure. Is anyone ballsy enough to build the agency of the future?

For more information on Kilmer & Cruise, visit www.kilmerandcruise.com. Alternatively, connect with them on Twitter.