SO&U: An avant-garde creative powerhouse with Imprints on Nigeria’s corporate landscape
Agency of Week
Building a brand, be it product, corporate or personality brand, doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of work to forge strong relationships with consumers/ clients/ people, and much of that work is done through market and brand positioning.
When it comes to building its corporate or product brand, even if a company has an internal team to help tell its story, it’s likely it will need an external creative support in crafting and executing its marketing strategy.
Thirty four years ago, in the creatively vibrant and culturally rich city of Lagos, Nigeria, an agency registered its presence on a tiny spot of the country’s advertising map. Today, SO&U, the then miniature agency has risen to become one of the most respected marketing and communications agencies in the West African region.
With a history of exponential growth despite encountering the usual vicissitudes of Nigeria’s business environment, SO&U properly and justifiably boasts substantial experience in telecommunications, banking, FMCG, public and other sectors of the economy, having previously worked and still working with powerful brands like MTN, Globacom, First Bank, Guinness, Access Bank, Indomie, Ovaltine, CFAO, NSIA and many others.
Recently, M&C Saatchi Africa, a global marketing agency, won the MTN Group global account. By that win the Udeme Ufot-led SO&U also became the agency of MTN Nigeria effective from January, 2025. It would be recalled that SO&U was one of the agencies that worked on MTN’s account when the telecom company initially entered the Nigerian market.
To cement the relationship between SO&U and M&C Saatchi Africa, Jacques Burger, recently visited SO&U for the long-anticipated MTN onboarding process.
What’s more, SO&U has produced some of the best brand advertising campaigns in Nigeria since its 34 years of existence in Nigeria’s Integrated Marketing Communications sector. Whether in partnership with other agencies or alone, the creative powerhouse has produced some of the most memorable campaigns that Nigerians have ever experienced.
SO&U revolutionized the way the banks were being advertised in their campaigns from the glorified press releases and announcement of lending rates to more compelling emotive copy. From GTBank to Access Bank, the agency has been delivering testimonials of high performance. Its early work in other areas of financial services, including the hilarious VT Leasing’s “Patient Dog Eats No Bone” strengthened its mastery of financial services communications in Nigeria. The agency’s Guinness Stout “My Friend Udeme” was one of the most successful campaigns ever run in its time. The Agency earned itself the enviable position of being the longest running Agency on the Guinness FES account after Loewe Lintas with almost fifteen years on the business before losing the brand to international alignment. SO&U has been on the Malta Guinness brand for over twenty years now, and currently handles Dubic Malt as well as Captain Morgan on the Guinness portfolio.
The Agency worked on the Globacom account for over eight years, arguably the longest tenure of any creative agency on that business. The quality of its Globacom advertising has continued to position Glo as a great Nigerian brand.
Currently, the SO&U Group is made up of over 80 people with a wide range of skills, who guarantee their clientele high value in brand strategy, concept development, digital marketing, design, media planning and buying, research, public relations, events management, activations and audio-visual production.
Known for its total commitment to the growth and success of brands in its custody, skilled and innovative workforce, SO&U boasts a unique blend of cultural sophistication and global best practices that have captured the attention of advertisers and businesses alike. With a track record of producing award-winning jobs, the creative agency’s involvement ensures that every client’s projects will be executed with the utmost professionalism and creativity.
At each epoch, like its counterparts in other parts of the world, technology has disrupted Nigeria’s creative industry. The ability to remain future-proof, adapt to changes and stay ahead of the ramifications to those disruptions is what has distinguished SO&U among other agencies over the years.
As SO&U forges strongly ahead towards its fourth decade as a creative powerhouse and integrated communications group, the Agency remains passionate about inspiring the world with its passion and ideas, building brands that transform businesses and situations.
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