The merger not only positions the agency as one of the very few in South Africa able to offer clients a full 360 degree communications solution, but also further capitalises on the formidable skills sets of the agencies’ joint management team and a new appointee in the form of digital guru Stephan Zimelka.

In the newly-merged entity, Glen Lomas will take on the role of Executive Chairman of the DDB Group South Africa, and also Vice President of DDB Africa. Emmet O’Hanlon will continue as MD, while Mike Udell, current MD of Tribal DDB SA will fill the role as Deputy MD of DDB SA.

Matt Ross has been appointed Chief Creative Officer of DDB South Africa, and Zimelka will fill the position of Digital Creative Director DDB South Africa. Both will be working closely alongside existing Executive Creative Director Grant Jacobsen and Head of Strategy Stuart Walsh. The creative team has also been boosted by the appointment of Nicola Wielopolski (ex. Metropolitan), Matt Berge (ex. Lowe Bull) and Coenie Sutton (ex. Trigger).

More creative appointments will be announced shortly. Account management will be led by Louise Johnston.

Ross, who returned to South African in 2010 after a successful tenure at DDB in London, believes the change is crucial to the future success not only of DDB, but any agency.

‘The idea of separating advertising channels is simply ludicrous. Consumers consume content, advertising included. Brands are either talking or interacting with them at particular times, and it is either relevant or it is not. The more relevant, the more effective,’ he says.

‘At DDB a single creative team, with a single methodology, will sculpt ideas around consumer behaviours, not dated media templates. These ideas are then communicated via the most relevant channels. The DDB creative department is being built around this vision and we are bringing in a number of top through-the-line creatives to ensure our vision is achieved.’

Lomas, who is well known for not mincing his words, puts it like this: ‘The talent 'pool' in DDB's management and exec is very deep, with some very clever fish in it indeed. I pity anyone in the same water as us. They'll be eaten alive like tasty grubs. The bloated bottom feeders of our industry would do well to keep their heads down and stay low.’

Ross concludes: ‘Advertising is a constantly changing discipline, and it is the agencies that construct themselves around that reality that will do the best and most effective work for their clients’.