Elba launches advertising agency
By Abimbola Mohammed
Idris Elba, famous UK Actor, has joined advertising executives after backing the launch of marketing and content business called Silly Face from his home town in London.
The marketing agency, called Silly Face, is being set up with Marc Boyan, founder of independent media group called Miroma. It aims to unearth new storytellers and reinvigorate creativity and fun in brand marketing through ideation, creation and distribution of both long and short form content.
Elba joins Ryan Reynolds, who debuted agency Maximum Effort in 2018, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Tony Hawke and Pitbull have also done so.
Silly Face is launching during a difficult period for advertising groups amid cutbacks in spending, and as agencies sometimes struggle to prove sufficiently nimble when addressing younger customers through digital media.
However, Elba’s high profile as an actor will help the venture. He will also add a dash of glamour to the business.
Elba and Boyan first started talking about working on a venture after considering a bid to acquire Channel 4 when the government floated the prospect of privatisation last year. Elba, who starred in television programmes such as Luther and The Wire, has his own brands alongside his career in music and film. He said consumer-facing companies were increasingly seeking to occupy different areas “a sports brand getting into music and music brands getting into fashion and that needs guidance.”
His plan is to bring in people with diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds to offer companies different ideas for their marketing. He added that there needed to be “honest conversation, consumers are so smart, now, they can smell the bullshit, they want to be sort of treated with integrity, they want to be represented.”
Elba said his career has helped bring: “A sense of audiences. His words: “I really have put my work in when it comes to sort of understanding audiences and how and what they react to, and how we can keep going with that.”
He added: “I feel the world needs to find different ways to explore ideas without the tension, without the fear of being cancelled. Brands need to adopt new approaches to garner attention from consumers.
“The actor stressed the importance of utilizing workers with “different perspectives and backgrounds, to ensure they add the excitement back into brand building.”
On his part, Boyan said there was a “lot of pressure” on companies given the scrutiny of their positions in areas such as politics, climate and diversity.
“When I walk into companies, people are slightly fearful. They do not know what change looks like going forward. We are building a safe place to get together.”
Boyan’s Miroma will also provide support for the new agency, which is recruiting a team of creatives and executives.
He added that the agency could also look to acquire other businesses, and would seek to produce its own content such as short-form documentaries.
His media group, Miroma has a number of marketing agencies within its portfolio, including in areas such as production, digital and influencer marketing. In February it acquired a majority stake in Buzz 16, the content company launched in 2016 by footballer Gary Neville.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Comment
No comments found.