Face to Face with... LBNY

Leo Burnett has staked a claim in the Big Apple with the launch of its NYC office, and here we chat with chief creative officer Jay Benjamin to find out what’s been happening behind the scenes at 23^rd and Park.

Why was now the right time to launch Leo Burnett NY?

We recently painted a phrase, ‘This just feels right’, onto one of the walls in our new space, because we believe our guts make the best decisions. But of course a lot more thought has gone into starting LBNY than just that. Our network has been on a great run in recent years. So it was only a matter of time before the right mix of talent put their hands up to do something new in New York. We’re here for a lot of reasons but most importantly, we’re here to work with incredible creative people.

For example, Michael Canning and Kieran Antill, the most awarded team in the world last year at Cannes, have come all the way from Australia to help us on our mission. I feel very lucky to be reunited with these two and can’t wait to see the next chapter of their careers unfold.  

Darren Wright and David Skinner also come with a wealth of awards, experience and the best Christopher Walken impressions around. They are complimented by brilliant designers, young creative teams, and some of the best strategy and business minds I’ve worked with.

And why do you think there wasn’t an existing creative agency already here?

LB Chicago is such a storied agency with so many great people and clients that there hasn’t really been an immediate need, other than an occasional small group to help service our clients. This is less about a need and more about a vision. We want to create something amazing.

How will LBNY operate; will you have your own clients, or work in tandem with Chicago/other offices?

We are a New York agency but of course we’re part of a network as well. Right now it’s important for us to set a tone. To let people know the type of thinking we are capable of. So we’re choosing our projects carefully. Operationally, we refer to ourselves as a nimble giant. We feel like a small agency, supported by a much bigger one. Again though, we’re going with our guts. If it feels right, we’ll do it. If it doesn’t, we won’t.    

Tell us a bit about what you have been up to since you arrived back in the city from Leo Burnett Sydney… what have you been doing to get the agency up and running?

Everything you could possibly imagine. It’s been crazy but it’s been a lot of fun too. We want to build the agency we’ve always wanted to work at, one that none of us ever want to leave. That means everything is important – who we hire, what kinds of business we go after and even the chairs we sit in. So one minute I’m on the phone with a prospective client, the next I’m staying back with the team to paint a bird with antlers on a reception wall. I even fix copiers now.

And can you tell us about any clients or work?

As this article is being printed we are reaching the final rounds on some pitches, which we can’t really disclose at the moment, but they are all things that we think are a perfect fit for us. We have another big project in creative development for a great global brand but until it comes out, mum’s the word on that one too. Soon we will be launching a new media platform designed to ignite the New York creative community. The project is called New York Writes Itself. It’s a production by the people of New York. Look out for it over the coming weeks.

What elements have you taken from the network’s ethos, and how have you also tried to make the agency individual?

Everywhere around the world we are united under one philosophy, HumanKind, a philosophy rooted in human behavior that has helped our network develop some of the most ground breaking thinking in our industry – ideas such as Canon EOS Photochains and Earth Hour.

We are in the process here in New York of evolving this ethos to what we believe is the true benchmark for modern day communication – To Speak Human. It’s not a set of rules but more of a guiding light, to remind us every day that we’re just a bunch of people inside this building talking to a larger bunch of people outside the building.

What are your hopes and plans for the future of the LBNY?

I want this agency to be the best place anyone has ever worked. I want to create a collaborative culture that breeds innovation, every day. My hope is that LBNY becomes a beacon for new world thinking. I don’t want people to ever be able to define us or fit us into a mold. Molds are the death of creativity.

Check out our feature on LBNY and other NYC start-ups making a splash in the city in the current issue of shots (129).