New Zealand born independent creative group Special, named Campaign’s ‘Global Creative Agency of the Year’ and ‘Global Independent Agency of the Year’ in 2021, is launching in Europe with a new London office.
Jennifer Black, Managing Director of Havas London, will be Partner and CEO of Special London, joining a global team across the group’s five international offices in Los Angeles, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney and Melbourne. Special London will collaborate closely with global counterparts as clients seek campaigns that cross geographic and cultural borders. First order of business for Black is to build out strategy and creative teams, to be announced soon.
“We are extremely excited to start our journey in London with such an incredible, kind and driven leader as Jen,” said Tony Bradbourne, Special’s Founder and CEO/CCO in New Zealand. “We have a huge amount of respect and admiration for the strategic and creative thinking that London consistently produces. We hope to add to that in some small way, by bringing a fresh and ambitious model to clients in the UK.”
Black, who was at Havas for four years, has also worked at Mother London and Fallon, and was previously Founder and Managing Director of Fabula. During her time at Havas, Black led the agency to extraordinary growth, topped off with its Asda win in 2021, the biggest pitch of last year. She was named ‘Account Person of the Year’ at Campaign’s Agency of the Year awards this year.
Black said: “Special has shown that it has a unique blend of creativity and strategy, generously imbued with positive energy and kind and brave values all expressed while working across borders. I am genuinely thrilled to be joining the Special family and I’m looking forward to bringing that energy into Europe through the new London office. I helped grow Havas into the creative agency that it is today and am excited to leave at this juncture and bring all that energy and thinking to launch Special."
Special’s clients include Uber Eats, Virgin, Tourism New Zealand, Smirnoff and Red Bull. The group has consistently punched above its weight in the global advertising community, winning a Cannes Grand Prix with its first major campaign for internet service provider Orcon, which starred Iggy Pop.
Other creative highlights include this year’s much lauded Uber Eats Super Bowl spot, created by Special US, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow eating her own vagina-scented candle. Special Australia launched the dueling celebrities ‘Tonight I'll Be Eating’ platform in Australia for Uber Eats and has since taken it to eight international markets, including the US where it debuted with a matchup between duo Patrick Stewart and Mark Hamill.
“Opening in London, with Jen at the helm will allow us to better serve our clients, many of whom, like Uber Eats, are accelerating global brands,” said Cade Heyde, Partner at Special and CEO of Special US. “Our strategy has always been to back the best talent from around the world and implement modern working models that encourage our people and offices to work together; free from hierarchies, politics and bureaucracy.”
Special launched in Auckland in 2008, with a model designed to break down the silos between advertising agencies and design studios and a mission to create truly integrated and innovative strategic thinking. The Sydney office opened in 2014, Melbourne and Los Angeles in 2020 — where Special was named ‘Newcomer of the Year’ by Ad Age just six months after opening — followed by Wellington in 2022.
Special is widely regarded as Asia Pacific’s leading creative agency. In 2021, it won every industry ‘Agency of the Year’ title — Campaign Asia, B&T, Campaign Brief, AdNews & Mumbrella — across both Australia and New Zealand. APAC Effie Awards also named Special ‘Asia Pacific Agency of the Year’ in the same year.
