Young and dynamic ad agency, ZK Advertising, has announced it has rebranded to Yellow Brick Road. This happens six years after the agency opened its doors in Nigeria when it launched the Celtel, and subsequently, Zain brands. The rebranding is set to bring a new lease of life to the agency with a new ownership structure and additional resources.
The agency disclosed that the management structure of the company will remain the same, and that the three major shareholders are : Kaliko Olowole, Nnenna Onyewuchi and Carol Kathurima. Kaliko Olowole, who set up ZK Advertising in 2006, was previously the Regional Director of FCB Africa, one of South Africa’s foremost Pan-African advertising networks. Nnenna Onyewuchi has over 10 years’ experience in marketing communications and served as Vice President of Strategic Planning, McCann New York, a position which she held until she returned to Nigeria in 2005 to work with some of the country’s top marketing communications consultancies. Carol Kathurima has local and international experience as a Producer and Production Manager on documentaries, corporate videos, feature films, TV Commercials and producing news and current affairs for international broadcasters.
Why the quirky name? According to Managing Director, Kaliko Olowole, “The name Yellow Brick Road was coined from the film, the Wizard of Oz which starred Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. The movie chronicles the story of four characters searching for answers which they find on the Yellow Brick Road. The answers: adventure, courage, passion and intelligence also speak to the core values of our Agency.”
Mr Olowole adds, “Some new appointments have also been made which include the appointment of a creative director who brings a blend of international experience and local understanding. We are also in talks with a foreign equity partner who will offer strategic value to the Yellow Brick Road’s operations.”
With the rebranding, Yellow Brick Road, based in Parkview, Ikoyi, intends to further reassert its position as a leader in the marketing communications industry. ”We want to rewrite the script in an industry where advertising agencies are seen as service providers rather than communication partners,” says Carol Kathurima. Nnenna Onyewuchi adds, “We want to shift from the traditional cliché of ‘thinking global and acting local’ and establish a convention where we think local and act global”. Kaliko Olowole concludes: “We currently have clients and a lot of experience covering the financial services, telecommunications, FMCG and oil & gas sectors, and are seriously looking to consolidate on and broaden this client base. What we offer is strategy driven, energetic creativity and passion mixed with the utmost professionalism.”
