Bird’s start-up agency wins raft of business

Another Anomaly, the start-up agency to be headed by Sony BMG vice-president of futures Duncan Bird and backed by Anomaly founder Carl Johnson, has won a raft of business before it opens.

It will work with former Neutrogena skincare expert Tammy Ha on the skincare products line Eu.

The joint venture will cover design, positioning, launching the product globally and advertising. Eu, pronounced “you”, will be stocked by SpaceNK in the UK.

Bird, who co-founded the Soul agency now owned by Nitro, will set up the agency in New York later this month with Natasha Jakubowski, a partner and strategic director at innovation consultancy Redscout. A London roll-out of the agency is on the cards also.

The “hybrid” agency, which launches with 10 staff, aims to cover new product development, brand strategy, design, content creation, advertising and digital.

Other agency projects confirmed include the design, branding and marketing of a designer blue-tooth headset, with Bird’s former employer Sony BMG committed to working with the agency on an entertainment brand joint venture. Coca-Cola and the Association of American Advertisers are already confirmed launch agencies.

Bird says he is looking to hire a creative director from television. The model will be akin to the way Simon Cowell marries his music business with TV production to produce cross-media entertainment formats and brands.

Bird joined Sony BMG in 2006 after the sale of Soul in 2005. The former Bartle Bogle Hegarty executive launched Soul with Bruce Crouch, Seamus O’Farrell, Andy Bird and Kevin Brown in 2000.