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A new agency in Muizenberg, Cape Town, is filling a gaping hole in the local advertising industry – accessibility and skills development
Top right OFyt has the head lease on the well-known Old Post Office building in Muizenberg, where old industry hands nurture talented creatives from various backgrounds. Centre The colourful interiors of OFyt’s office space strikes a balance between the need for industriousness and the need for relaxation.
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dvertising is an interesting beast. Not only is it a global, multi-billion-dollar industry, but also, out of all the multibillion-anything industries, it is the one where creative capital is the most treasured commodity. As with any money-spinning industry, accessibility is dependent on high- level skill sets. And we in South Africa are all too familiar with the story of such skill sets being a historically exclusive domain, particularly in a creative and specialised field such as advertising. The founders of OFyt, Gary Leih, Jono Shubitz and Paul Newman, stalwarts of SA’s advertising industry, recognise this. ‘We don’t believe it’s possible for anyone to live in South Africa and be in business here and yet be immune to the serious debates and conflicts that bubble and occasionally rage around inequality, transformation and discrimination. Unless you’re an ostrich, perhaps. We believe that action is needed now, in every way,’ says Gary. The name OFyt stands for ‘Old Friends Young Talent’, which reflects the agency’s business model, namely, to encourage and nurture young talent through the expertise that each of the founders and friends has gained during their
30 | May/June 2012
extensive careers in advertising. Gary is the former CEO of Ogilvy Group UK and an Ogilvy Worldwide board director. Jono is a former Creative Directors’ Forum chairman and Loeries Awards judge. Paul Newman is a former banker turned airline industry marketer. ‘Our operational model is to gather together passionate young talent, which is predominately, but not exclusively, historically disadvantaged, and put it together with experienced old hands – ourselves,’ says Jono. ‘What we’re doing at OFyt may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but we believe that every step is a worthwhile step. This step will help build experience and momentum in our industry for those who have not had easy access to the industry until now.’ In addition to the three old friends, OFyt comprises 10 permanent staff members and 8 young graduates in the fields of marketing, graphic design and other industry-related fields. Their backgrounds and contexts differ vastly. Some of them are from Gugulethu, some are from Langa and others are from the Southern Suburbs and other areas around Cape Town. There are even staff members from Port Elizabeth. The common thread is the desire to learn, to
experience and to whip out some fresh, original and indigenous work, says Gary. Paul adds, ‘Our young team members are tasked with more than just creating locally relevant work. They also gather intelligence and insights where they live – in townships, the city and the suburbs. In this way they are both a creative resource and an insight factory for our clients.’ Another ‘old friend’ is the premises. OFyt occupies the ground floor of Muizenberg’s Old Post Office building, built in 1932. The ‘young talent’ in this sense is the warm and trendy open-plan interior of dark wood, interesting and colourful wall treatments and red-brick. The extended balcony overlooks Muizenberg beach and a row of surfboards stands waxed and ready should anyone at OFyt wish to hit the waves. Muizenberg is an appropriate place for a fledgling and unique agency: quite off the radar, scenic and, says Gary, ripe with potential. ‘When one looks at trends in urban redevelopment all over the world, including the Woodstock example of the Biscuit Mill precinct redevelopment, when the advertising and design industries move in, things really start to happen.’ +27 (0)21 709 0290, ofcomms.com