Former Northcross directors and navyblue finalise joint venture deal
Seven staff, including three former directors, from beleaguered agency Northcross have now formed a joint venture with Navyblue to further extend Navyblue’s 3D offer by establishing Navyblue 3D Design.
As revealed in the last issue of The Drum, former Northcross directors Ewan McCarthy, Harry Fisher and Kate McHugh have struck a deal with Navyblue that will see a joint venture between the trio of directors and the agency. The deal will be funded 50-50 by the former Northcross directors and Navyblue, and the team will be based in new offices in Leith, next door to the current Navyblue base in Giles Street, until Navyblue relocates early in 2005.
Navyblue 3D Design will continue to work for a number of former Northcross clients including Ahlstrom, Frankfurt Development Agency and Style Financial Services, which is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Navyblue’s existing 3D clients, including Ocean Terminal and the Food Standards Agency, will also benefit from the new offer, and Navyblue’s existing 3D creative team will move to the new venture.
Ewan McCarthy, creative director of Navyblue 3D Design said: “We are hugely excited to be joining Navyblue and extremely pleased to be able to continue providing our clients with the creativity and service they have come to expect. We are also extremely encouraged by the support clients have given us, and look forward to growing our relationships.”
Navyblue’s managing director, Douglas Alexander added: “We are delighted to be working with Ewan McCarthy, Kate McHugh, Harry Fisher and their team. At Navyblue we embrace and encourage such collaborative and strategic developments, and this is another great piece of news to kick-off 2004. By supporting the business both financially and in an advisory capacity we can see major synergies and opportunities coming out of this relationship.”
Meanwhile, it is thought that Charlie Barr and Craig Mann, both formerly of Northcross, have now formed a new design consultancy.