New agency claims to be NZ's biggest

A new full-service advertising agency opens for business tomorrow - with ambitions to be the leading local agency, with strong Australian connections.

Blackwood King and Lamb is the result of the merger of three agencies: Adpartners, Lennox Media (currently Adpartner's media company) and Blackwood King.

Billed as the largest locally held agency, it will be owned by the three men whose names feature in its moniker - James Blackwood, Terry King and Bert Lamb.

"We start as New Zealand's biggest locally owned agency and our goal is to grow that to being a very significant agency in this market, competing head on with the internationals," King said.

He and his partners have track records in growing local companies.

"We are complimentary businesses in that we [Blackwood King] are very much a brand agency.

"Adpartners is a retail agency, so we believe there's a huge future in combining retail and brand skills," King said.

"Because every successful retailer is a brand in itself and for every major brand, in the end, the retail component is very important."

With billings of more than $30 million, key clients include Shiseido, Mazda, Cavalier Bremworth, Canon, Molemap, Pascoes and Levenes.

Three operating companies will make up the agency: Blackwood King Adpartners (BKA advertising agency), BKA Rolfe Direct (direct marketing company) and BKA Media (media company).

King said the objective was to establish a locally owned, full-service agency group capable of attracting the best local talent through the opportunity of equity and management involvement.

"Local ownership means the success of this new venture for all the parties involved will be related to our clients' success and that is a very powerful motivating factor to ensure we deliver work of the highest standard," he said.

Appointments announced so far include Jen Rolfe - formerly group services director for Aim Proximity - as chief executive of BKA Rolfe Direct, the new direct marketing company.

And Adi State, former strategic planner at Colenso, joins Blackwood King Adpartners as strategic planning director.

As well as full-service advertising, media and direct services, the new group will also offer retail specialist skills, in-house electronic production and web design facilities.

BKA Media is already accredited in Australia and the group will also service major clients in that market.

International affiliate Leo Burnett, currently Blackwood King's international partner, will remain, giving BKA full access to the international company's services and resources.

King believes BKA is the only New Zealand agency accredited in Australia and said the agency already did $10 million of work across the Tasman.

"New Zealand companies wanting to enter the Australian market can now deal with us locally from the point of view of developing the strategies.

"And Australian companies wanting to advertise in New Zealand can actually do it with New Zealand expertise, as opposed to doing it through an Australian agency."