Because nothing will be more like never before

Travel approximately eleven years back, in January 1995. Maurice Saatchi, age 49, prepares to fold baggage to the British group Saatchi & Saatchi, founded with his brother Charles in 1970. After you have created a giant, world number one of advertising throughout the 1980s, this is the current President of M & C Saatchi literally deported, under the pressure of a shareholder revolt. Famous campaigns of the Agency for among other British Airways or the Conservative Party of Margaret Thatcher "The Labour isn't working" are entered in the Golden legend of advertising. But the costly acquisitions, the expensive management of the group, the train of life flamboyant of the two brothers, their debt, their provocative mockery, finally, have left traces.

Mockery With its giant glasses forever rimmed hulls, his Dandyism mocking to Oscar Wilde, his charming smile, finally, like Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat, Lord Maurice Saatchi is, in fact, one of the few to a distance not devoid of coquetry: "my brother and I had decided to call our agency Saatchi & Saatchi." In fact, it was perfectly ridiculous! "Or:" my recreation. " I am unable to do anything other that suggests advertising, my next campaign, in the budget that I am trying to win. When you think it is pathetic. "But he knows uncheck kicked claw. And evoking the trajectory Flash of its former financial director Martin Sorrell, now Chairman of WPP, number two world, loose, without ceasing to smile: "it has been well trained." How to restore the clocks at the time. Above all, in a more prompt trade to cite online magazines than the classical authors, Maurice Saatchi punctuates his reflections of references to Shakespeare. And referring to his eviction enforced its own agency, quote: "There is a tide in affairs of men where they lose all control on their life.".

This 11 January 1995, yet, Maurice Saatchi does think not to the spirit, still less the philosophy. Him, the Iraqi émigré arrived in Britain at the age of 11 months, the student brilliant graduate of the London School of Economics, doubt. Boost to nearly 50 years an agency from scratch Redeem a moribund international network The British press itself wondered out loud: "can they give birth to another prodigy" title in a "The Daily Paragraph." But in a few days, Maurice Saatchi takes his decision: he will convince bankers and boost from scratch a new structure. A way to express themselves as British Airways, Mirror Group, the cigarette maker Gallaher between other and 40 executives from Saatchi the will follow in the adventure. As Charles Saatchi, it will prefer not to be as passive shareholder for any leisure to devote himself to his contemporary art collection, one of the most prestigious in the world.

The end of an era

M & C Saatchi (like Maurice and Charles) is now present in 15 countries with eighteen agencies, aligns revenues in 2005 EUR 98 million. In January 2000, sixth structure on the British market, it was sacred "agency of the year" by the weekly "Campaign". Finally, Europe being the weakest link in the network, the group will open a branch in Germany these days and prepares its launch in Spain. Already, in September 2005, M & C Saatchi launched into orbit, with Gilles Masson, Antoine Barthuel and Daniel Fohr, all three defectors from the management of Leo Burnett (Group Publicis), a subsidiary in Paris, M & C Saatchi GAD. Which structure conducted in ten months, a very honourable course with the earnings of the Yves Rocher, Havana Club (Pernod-Ricard) budgets and campaign shifted to the Musée du Quai Branly.

Perfect trajectory Not quite. M & C Saatchi was not lifted as much of money he had in his introduction to the London Stock Exchange in 2004, which slowed as its European expansion. Especially, he left to escape the very big budget British Airways, despite the privileged relations that had Maurice Saatchi with its President, Lord Marshall.

However, remains an unresolved issue: eleven years after having everything again, where is Maurice Saatchi It multiplies at fun spins: "there was no plan to established at the time of the creation of M & C Saatchi, Editor's note he said the"Financial Times".". The birth of this company was a happy accident a very different experience from that of Saatchi & Saatchi, always directed by a specific plan designed to lead to the Summit. "But, questioned by"Les Echos"Havas and its chances of success through a single network, Euro RSCG, he shows more precise:" between the 1980s and today, a major change occurred: acceptance by customers, live in a holding company with one of their competitors, provided that it is managed by another network. ". Then, of course, it is always possible to win a great success with a single network. But, in doing so, we resigned himself to have as an advertiser by industry and by sector of activity. And mechanically, this choice limits organic growth.

Especially, Maurice Saatchi believes strongly in digital that he perceives as an unprecedented opportunity. "Traditional advertising is dead and I have the strange impression online attend his funeral, he says." But there is a joyful new: there is a life after death, and for advertising, it will pass through digital, which is an irreversible revolution. Because nothing will be more like never before. Large family appointments before television died with the scattering of each of the members of the family in different screens: computers, I - Pod, PSP... and the pub cannot escape unless it radically alters its approach and its modes of expression.

Better or more, it considers that the brains of less than twenty-five years the digital native" born and grew up in the digital world and those of the older"the digital immigrant" are now configured differently. Dividing the world into two, between those who can, without any effort and in the same moment, "download music, read e-mail, listen to the radio, take a look at the television, play video games" and "digital immigrants will speak always digital with awful emphasis and will never be able to demonstrate the same agility." Advertising and M & C Saatchi to then adapt to new languages, new reflexes, including knowing synthesize the characteristics of a mark in a single word, "as the New Labour, coined by Tony Blair, and that was enough to revolutionize the perception of the Labour Party by the addition of a single adjective". Left to later buy the commercial use of the selected word. Decidedly, Saatchi & Saatchi, this "ridiculous" name, no longer feasible.