The One Club for Creativity (TOCC) has merged with ADC Europe (ADCE), to enhance the ability to grow and promote European creativity beyond the continent. ADCE and The One Club are both non-profit organisations with the same goal, and this integration will increase their impact and ability to achieve their objectives. Both organisations will maintain teams and pool resources to promote creativity to a new combined creative community of 9,100 individual and corporate members in 74 countries around the world.
The merger also enables The One Club to make its programs accessible to the old continent thanks to the ADCE network that unites 22 clubs and associations from 20 countries, with more than 6,000 top leading creatives from the graphic design and the visual communication sector. The 22 ADCE member advertising and graphic design clubs and associations are based in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Georgia, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
Based in Barcelona at the Design Hub (DHUB), the city’s centre of creativity, design and innovation, ADCE will become The One Club branch in Europe, and boost The One Club programs such as the Executive Creative Summit, the ONE School free portfolio program for Black creatives, and expansion of Portfolio Night in Europe.
At the same time, ADCE will expand the reach of some of its successful programs, such as Creative Express and Agency Exchange, by taking them to the US, Asia Pacific, and other regions.
One of the first benefits for ADCE will be the incorporation of ADCE Award winners into The One Club Global Creative Rankings, making it the industry’s foremost global ranking of agencies, brands, work, and creative professionals. The Global Creative Rankings will now combine points from The One Show, global ADC Annual Awards, ADCE Awards, ONE Asia Creative Awards, The One Club US chapter awards, and Type Directors Club TDC competitions. Points accrued by ADCE Awards winners will gain them visibility and prestige around the world, and also now count towards global totals for network and holding company rankings.
“This partnership drives a more vibrant, diverse, and impactful global creative community,” stated Glenn Cole, The One Club chairman, and founder, creative chairman, 72andSunny. “For ADCE and The One Club members, it offers new opportunities, audiences, and perspectives. For the world, it expands access to creative careers through programs like Creative Boot Camps, ONE Creator Lab, and ONE School. Unexpected collisions are at the heart of creativity. I can’t wait to see what we create together.”
“As a strong believer in the power of togetherness and diversity – which is embedded in the DNA of Europe – I am more than excited about giving European creativity an even more prominent global stage through this amazing new partnership with The One Club,” added Alexander Schill, ADCE president, and global chief creative officer, Serviceplan Group. “It has never been more important to consolidate our creative forces in order to drive change and celebrate our differences.”
The membership structure and programs of the two organisations will remain as they are, and new benefits will be incorporated as new programs are jointly developed.
The agreement represents an expansion of resources for the two organisations as the two structures, ADCE’s team in Europe and The One Club teams based in New York and Shanghai, will work together, each providing regional know-how and expertise in different areas.
