TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris\Durban is most certainly a winner in its industry. After scooping several awards over the years, and winning the confidence of its clients, its most recent awards received are Objectivity’s “Best Performing Agency of the Year 2007” in the International Agency category, and the Build It Group’s “National Service Supplier of the Year 2007”.

According to James Porter, the Executive Chairman of TBWA\Group\Durban, “TBWA\Group\Durban believes in a partnership approach with our clients. For TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris\Durban, this has paid off both in terms of the awards we have received and the loyalty of our fantastic client list”.

The Objectivity award is based on results from an independent survey of clients by South Africa’s only perception measurement and management company, Objectivity. The founder and senior partner of the company, Clive Webster, says the profiles compiled are the result of a year-long study quantifying the perceptions of an advertising agency’s clients of how it performed, and its ability to deliver on a range of criteria. The key condition was return on investment – for TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, winning this award meant it could proudly announce it met the needs of the client.

Says Porter: “This award is an overwhelming vote of confidence from our clients. It is clear that our team is delivering with the professionalism and teamwork that makes a client relationship – and thus a campaign - successful. The agency’s 360 degree service, in which we offer above-, below- and through-the-line communication solutions, enables us to identify and satisfy the individual business needs of all of our clients. The fact that we have won this award three times in the past four years affirms that we are consistent”.

It was also of particular importance that the agency received the Build It Group’s “National Service Supplier of the Year” award. This was as the Built It brand was conceptualised in the offices of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris\Durban. According to Praveen Inderpersadh, the Managing Director of TBWA\Group\Durban’s design arm Tequila, “Critical to our success with Build It is the fact that we work with the client as a team, with the common goal of building the brand. We have a thorough understanding of the Build It brand and our client relationship is built on mutual respect and trust – essential ingredients for success”.

The Build It account is served by a strong agency team – the company was launched within the SPAR Group in 1999, and has become the fastest growing hardware group in South Africa.

Porter concludes by saying, “Being a successful agency is not just about winning awards. While these do motivate our team and affirm that we are ‘getting it right’, the success of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris comes from a combination of a team of passionate, talented individuals, and a client base that trusts in our ability to deliver the right solutions for their needs”.

TBWA\Group\Durban is part of TBWA\Worldwide, and consists of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, TBWA\TOO, Tequila, Tequila Motion, D\M\Y and Redsky. TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris\Durban is the biggest advertising agency in KwaZulu-Natal, and its client list includes the likes of Beiersdorf, Illovo Sugar, Sara Lee, SPAR, Tops, Build It, MTN Durban Fashion Week, Playtex, Durban 2010, Tongaat Hulett Developments and aQuellé. TBWA\Worldwide is one of the fastest growing top ten agency networks, and has 291 offices in 77 countries, boasting 11 000 employees globally.