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Thinking Juice

Thinking Juice to join forces with Aylesworth Fleming as it becomes latest addition to the Emerge Group

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

September 20, 2011 | 4 min read

Two of the south coast's best known advertising agencies, Aylesworth Fleming and Thinking Juice, have become sister companies as Gellan and Debbie Watt move into the Emerge Group.

The moves sees Thinking Juice’s 20 staff becoming part of the 165-strong UK-wide Emerge Group, with Thinking Juice co-founders Gellan and Debbie Watt both becoming Emerge Group shareholders. The move also sees Gellan Watt taking on the role of chief creative officer, which will see him assuming responsibility for all of the Emerge Group’s creative output from its offices in the South, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Aylesworth Fleming was launched in 1984 by Matt Fleming and Martin Syvertson and has gone on to carve out a solid niche in property and marine advertising with clients including Gladedale, Banner Homes, Taylor Wimpey, Keir, Raymarine, Sunsail and Bainbridge Marine. In 2000 the ambitious agency launched specialist media agency, Space and Time headed up by Peter Jones and Sandy Gil, and in 2007 acquired Refeshed Media. At this point the Emerge Group was formed, which went on to acquire agencies Flutter and Wow, which were subsequently relaunched as Refreshed Wellbeing. Other businesses within the group include Refreshed Direct and Refreshed Membership.

Thinking Juice was launched in 2003 by Gellan and Debbie Watt and has gone on to build a solid creative reputation with clients including CAT, Mizuno, David Beckham Academy, Wyke Farms and Beales among others. The creative agency was also named UK Advertising Agency of the Year 2010 at MiNetwork's MiAwards and Best in Creative and Best in Effectiveness at the RAR Awards 2011, held in London.

Speaking of the move to become part of the Emerge Group, Gellan Watt said: “The combination of Aylesworth Fleming’s nationwide resource and TJ’s cutting edge creativity makes for an irresistible proposition for potential clients. We intend to capitalise on the strength of both teams and use the two very different skill sets where they are best suited for a specific brief.

“While we are determined to stay nimble and innovative, we will also have a nationwide team around 165 strong to deliver a comprehensive service to a much wider range of clients.”

The move was officially announced by Emerge Group’s board of directors over breakfast at Bournemouth’s Carlton Hotel to more than 100 of its south coast-based staff, during which they stressed that the move will not lead to any job losses. In fact as a group, Emerge is currently looking to recruit around six new people in various creative and strategic roles.

Since suffering a significant drop in turnover during the harshest times of the recession, Emerge Group has bounced back very positively in more recent times. In the financial year 2007/08 the group was turning over £39.2m, with GP of £9m. By 2009/10 turnover had fallen to £21m, with staff numbers down from a high of 203 to 112. However, just two years later staff numbers are up to 165 and turnover is expected to top £32m with a GP of £7.5 this year.

Aylesworth Fleming founder Matt Fleming said: "I have long been an admirer of Thinking Juice and all that it stands for and I have already worked alongside Gellan on a collaborative pitch for an international business looking for an agency to develop its residential brand in the UK. We were one of six competing for the account and I'm delighted to say we won it.

He went on: “The profile of our business is changing and this is definitely a change in direction. There will be some big changes, but we have some fantastic people here and we are really going to focus on creativity in the group. The atmosphere when we announced the move to the staff was very positive, the staff even laughed at my jokes. There are no negatives, we want to be the best agency outside London and everything will be buoyed by the addition of Thinking Juice. Obviously we will have a broader business base and that means more opportunities for our staff to emerge within the group.”

Immediate plans revolve around locating large enough office premises in Bournemouth to enable Emerge and Thinking Juice to be brought together physically under one roof, which is expected to happen within the next six months.

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