But Chan and Tsang's venture is hardly the first agency of its type.
About a year ago, ex-Bates creative directors Ron Cheung and Derek Chung opened their own shop - Hotdog - claiming that by cutting out bureaucracy they stood a "better chance of getting the right ideas
to clients.
While Chan acknowledges the importance of account servicing, he believes that the role isn't being run as efficiently or effectively as it could be in traditional agency set-ups. "Traditionally, strategy is done by account servicing, but what we normally get is boring and ineffective," says Chan. "They think that insight comes from research, that is looking at the past, but if everyone thought like that then strategies would be similar for similar products and the client wouldn't get campaigns that stand out."
Chan insists his opinions are not meant to devalue research. He says that he and his partners use research to look into the future to "find out where the appeal will be tomorrow not what it was yesterday". But can an agency do without the traditional account planners?
Luca Valdrighi, the general manager of Dentsu Young & Rubicam Brand Communications Hong Kong, says that if organised properly, account servicing staff build a communications platform for a brand in a logical, step-by-step process through consumer research, analysis, plus a complete understanding of the client's products and the category they compete in. "One of the dangers of not having a proper account servicing unit is that the creative director might find a good gimmick or trick, which is good for a one-shot execution, but it won't have the support to develop the brand further."
He adds that agencies must have account servicing for clients such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever, but it may not be necessary for maverick brands like Virgin. "It really depends on the character of the client: do they want everything mapped out or are they willing to take more risks?"
However, Chan says that account servicing has a long way to go in Hong Kong. He cited advertising for Leighton Hill Property.
"Planners would give us the following facts: luxury development, prestigious location and high quality building materials used. Problem is that this won't help in making an ad that sells apartments.
"So what we did was to associate the development with the upper class.
We gave the campaign an aspirational edge. The result was that the property sold out in five days."
Chan and Tsang have been long-time creative partners and they have nourished the hope of starting their own agency since working together seven years ago at Ogilvy & Mather. In 1997, they moved to Bozell and a year later to BBDO, where they stayed until last year, gaining a small measure of notoriety and fame for their work for Sunday. However, both Chan and Tsang are adamant that their start-up agency will remain small. "Advertising is a people business and if you get too big and bureaucratic you begin to lose touch with the clients,
says Tsang.
