Motion Sickness bolsters agency with big client wins and several new appointments

A suite of account wins, most recently Energy Online, have helped propel independent Auckland indie agency Motion Sickness to its next level of growth.

The accounts were won by competitive pitch against some of the biggest names in the industry, and Motion Sickness founder and creative director Sam Stuchbury says the agency has really put its ‘big kid pants on.’

Motion Sickness will now be the lead creative agency for Energy Online, one of New Zealand’s largest challenger brands in the retail energy sector.

Head of strategy and partner Hilary Ngan Kee said leading a business like this is a huge, but logical, step up for the agency in terms of its long-term strategic growth: “One thing that became clear to us through the pitch process was the cultural fit between our two organisations. They’re a hugely ambitious business, filled with good people, who look at the world differently. We can’t wait to collaborate with the Energy Online team to take this brand to new heights, and to produce work we’re all proud of.”

It will challenge the team – in a good way – because Motion Sickness will for the first time be leading everything, from the brand to day-to-day marketing to above-the-line campaigns.

Stuchbury explains they have been “out-running the growth” – hiring ahead of time and scaling up to ensure it has the capacity to seize new opportunities when they arise.

“Our long-term vision for the business is to produce the world’s best work, for the world’s best brands, right here in one of the world’s smallest countries. We believe you don’t need to have 200 staff members and be a large multinational agency to do the best work for the best brands. We have a smallish team, comprised of some of New Zealand’s most talented minds, and we’re punching well above our weight. It’s a new agency model and it’s working.”

GM of Energy Online, Shaun Rees says the agency’s fresh thinking and “challenger spirit” were critical factors in the appointment: “Whilst the average age of our respective starting line ups might have a 10 year differential, the mindset and attitudes of both teams are an awesome fit. Success in a low interest category like energy comes from pushing boundaries and combining diverse skills sets & experiences to find interesting ways to tell our story. The team at Motion Sickness are perfectly positioned to give us this creative edge.”

Motion Sickness has gone from strength to strength over the past 18 months, with new client wins, and international attention for its recent integrated campaigns with the Government.

Says Stuchbury: “Clients are telling us they’re becoming a bit disenchanted with traditional advertising, and they’re choosing us because they want something different. The world of advertising and marketing is changing daily. As an agency, I think we’ve got our fingers on the proverbial pulse, and I think people are coming to us because we’re in touch with that… It’s a really exciting time.“

With Sylvia Humphries adding even more creative firepower to the team, joining Motion Sickness from DDB Berlin, and Dora Fedaeff from TBWA coming on board with valuable experience in social strategy, the agency is growing.

Says Alex McManus, partner at Motion Sickness: “We’re chuffed to be building out the Motion Sickness team with a few more recent additions, including some four legged friends, we’re very close to the 20 mark.”

Adds Stuchbury: “With the recent growth in the agency, we’re just excited to see what’s next.”

The agency plans to look for a few more lead agency roles over the next six months, but in the meantime is looking forward to getting ‘stuck in’ with its new client partners.