The Monkeys reach double digits

Tonight (August 25), The Monkeys celebrated 10 years as an independent Australian ad agency. Doesn’t that sound mainstream? Well, the agency is not. It’s exuberantly creative and unquestionably successful.

Its 10^th birthday party was held at the agency – a building until recently almost as famous for its garish red and pink paintwork as it was for being home to the Sydney Antique Market. 531 South Dowling Street is now a tad more demurely black and white and so much less Louis XIV.

The birthday speeches were delivered in Q&A form. A nice touch from the blokes still hungry to “do things differently”. Here’s some of what they told their audience, and some of what they didn’t:

In 2006, three young admen were feeling “restless, frustrated and a bit deluded,” co-founder, Justin Drape, did admit.

So Mark Green, Justin Drape and Scott Nowell swapped their young admen salaries and designer offices for a “trestle table and one internet connection”.

They gave their new company a plan that was striking in its detail. It was, “to do something different with brands.”

And they called themselves Three Drunk Monkeys.

Did they know that this would be their golden ticket to almost instant renown? Let’s say they did. The Monkeys still live by the principle that all publicity is great publicity. And that’s a good thing (more about that later in this piece.)

But they outgrew “three” quite quickly. And outgrew rebellion eventually. They became The Monkeys in 2011. What has stood the test of time, growth and maturity – from their first job to their most recent – is their creative ingenuity.

Being “brave enough to give it a go,” as Mark Green says of The Monkey’s ethos, works really well when you’re really good at what you do.

And The Monkeys are good. This good:

AdNews Agency of the Year 2015 & 2012
AdNews NSW Agency of the Year 2015, 2013 & 2012
AdNews Independent Agency of the Year 2015 & 2012
Campaign Brief Agency of the Year 2015
Mumbrella Creative Agency of the Year 2015
Mumbrella Ad of the Year 2015
B&T Independent Agency of the Year 2015 & 2014
B&T Agency of the Year 2013, 2011 & 2010
APG Strategic Agency of the Year 2014

Here’s a sliver of The Monkeys’ good-est work:

A few weeks ago, The Monkeys promoted new film, Down Under, with a timely rebuke. Australia v Australia – Nobody Wins needed to be said.

The Monkeys: The most controversial film of the year gets the most provocative campaign to match

Then there was this year’s epic Australia Day MLA campaign. Feted by the industry, loved by lamb fans, hated by vegans. Very hated by vegans. Australia’s most complained about ad of the year so far.

Thought The Monkeys would never outdo last year’s Aus Day lamb ad?

…the chance to send Trump or Abbott into space (Who doesn’t want to do that?)…

The Monkeys: Your chance to (really) send Trump or Abbott into space

…an irresistibly impossible Snapchat contest (well before Snapchat advertising became an adland ‘thing’)…

The Monkeys create the irresistibly almost impossible Snapchat coupon

…and the work that’s very close to my heart, the relaunch of Australia’s first cult ice cream brand. Homer Hudson ice cream was originally created by an advertising creative in the office next to mine. I wrote the story below, with love, from memory [ed].