The Direct Marketing Group has opened the doors of its new ethical agency, United, in a move which reunites Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray co-founders Duncan Gray and Elly Woolston with planner Steve Dodds.
The agency is the latest in a number of start-ups launched this year, including Now, co-founded by John Townshend and An Abundance, set up by Chris Ward and Amanda Phillips.
Plans for the London-based United were first revealed late last year when Gray joined the business from Proximity London, where he was executive creative director, and the network’s worldwide creative leader.
At the time, it was also interviewing a number of DM creatives for the role of executive creative director but has yet to appoint an ECD. Duncan is to be creative partner, Woolston is client partner, and Dodds is planning partner. The co-founders will have an equal share in the business and will initially use freelances for new work.
Woolston will also continue to work for Bristol-based DMC, which, along with Millennium, Whitewater, JDA and DM Print form The DM Group.
It is unclear how many days Woolston will work in London, as one of the reasons she joined DMC in the first place was to work closer to home in the Bristol area. Another moot point is how United will differentiate itself from Whitewater, which is also a charity/ethical agency.
Woolston (pictured) said: “We want to connect belief-driven people to belief-driven brands through marketing campaigns with measurable value. That’s our aim and we have the passion and expertise to discover and unlock this potential.”
BHWG was set up in the early Nineties by Chris Barraclough, Simon Hall, Woolston, Gray and a handful of others. The agency was one of the DM industry’s most successful launches, being bought by AMV in the mid-Nineties and rebranded Proximity London. Gray was the last remaining founder on the payroll. Barraclough and Hall both left more than five years ago; Woolston a couple of years later.
Related stories:
Gray joins DMG ethical agency
Townshend reveals start-up ‘Now’
Ward and Phillips launch start-up
