7even Interactive: A shop of young ‘rebels’

There is a new advertising agency in town, not too new though, as it is only about two years old in the creative industry, but within that short period, 7even Interactive is steadily rewriting the rules and redefining the boundaries of the advertising business in Nigeria.

Nestled in a cozy and serene office within Opebi Ikeja, 7even Interactive thrives on youth and the art of being ‘unreasonable’. It is an agency that rebels against the norm and demonstrates the beauty of uncommon thinking. It is this unconventional slant that has given the agency a niche and made it one of the fast growing advertising shops in the highly competitive ad industry in Nigeria.

In an industry where agencies take years to find stability, 7even Interactive rose up the ladder very fast and gained a firm footing within its first year, when it won the Fidelity bank creative account. To win the account, the agency beat off competition from some of the older and established agencies in Nigeria by its superior creative proposals.

Taiwo Agboola Chief Operating Officer of the agency told MARKETING EDGE recently that he was not surprised his agency won the Fidelity bank pitch, despite contesting with established ad shops because the “hunger to shatter old records sets 7even Interactive apart as it drives us to see things from different perspectives rather than being bogged down with old beliefs and idiosyncrasies.” He added that the Fidelity bank business has been its main stay.

But over time, 7even Interactive have quickly won several other good accounts including Main One, GAC Motors, CMA- one of the biggest media company in Nigeria and owners of Sound TV, Sun Salt. “So it has been a potpourri of good successes and we are expecting results of three pitches,” Agboola said.

It is no news that the agency has about the youngest crop of staff in the industry, with an average age of maybe 25 or thereabout, but it possesses boundless passion and creative instinct that inspires awe and confidence in clients and more than compensates for the relatively young age of the shop. And it is this youthful passion that drives the team to create unusual works that hypnotizes clients and take the sector by storm.

Speaking on the Fidelity bank rebranding which practically announced the entry of the agency into mainstream advertising, Agboola said the bank was in search of a new identity that will project it as not just a bank in search of customers’ deposits but a partner that is ready to meet the needs of customers.

That briefing is what gave birth to “Tough Job”, a classic campaign that has attracted positive reviews stakeholders. Tough job is not the usual run of the mill bank advert. The 60 seconds cut of the TVC shows a group of people expertly undertaking strenuous and physical tasking exercises which reflected that Fidelity is mentally and physically prepared and certified to take the customer through seemingly daunting business and financial requirements. The series of press and radio campaigns have been equally impressive.

While most banks adverts would normally show banking hall or cashiers on duty, ‘tough job’ is a clear departure from that norm. It is a commercial that tickles viewers’ imagination and leaves them with some good memories of the financial institution. “It’s boring when TVCs of banks are all about showing cashiers or the banking hall, we wanted to offer something more refreshing, yet good enough to convey the message,” the agency’s COO explained.

Ironically, while 7even Interactive is relishing its successes, many other agencies in Nigeria are lamenting a general decline in business. According to reports, only a few ad shops in the country are on a sound footing and can boast of lucrative accounts. Still 7even Interactive is not completely immune to the economic backlash, it has had to endure the painful reality of budget cut by clients. But Agboola is not perturbed because according to him, budget cut is better than no budget at all. “When you are boxed into a corner, you react,” he said.

Having achieved so much in such little time, 7even Interactive now looks forward to a future of bigger promises, not just in terms of accounts but also big awards like Cannes Lion, Loeries, LAIF to cement its place as a force to be reckoned with in the industry.