Saatchi exodus spawns clutch of consultancies

By IRENE CHAPPLE

One of New Zealand's most high-profile admen is leaving glamour advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi to set up an "ideas" consultancy and to write a book.

Auckland-based Mike Hutcheson, former Saatchi & Saatchi managing director and local head of the agency's ideas group The Hive, leaves this month and will launch The Lighthouse Ideas Company in the new year.

He joins a flurry of big-name Saatchi & Saatchi executives setting up consultancies.

Chairman Kim Thorp yesterday confirmed the rumour that he was partnering a consultancy with former Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide chief operating officer Peter Cullinane.

Cullinane resigned from that position in January after 14 years and has since been on "garden leave", forbidden to work for anybody else but biding time until his contract with Saatchi & Saatchi runs out at the end of this month. He returned to New Zealand a fortnight ago after five months in France, and is today in Taupo for some fishing.

Thorp, who has been with Saatchi for 16 years and was creative director in the Wellington office for 12, now runs a vineyard in Hawkes Bay.

He is still negotiating a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi for next year and would not say if he would resign as chairman. However, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand chief executive Ian Christie said Thorp was staying on as chairman.

Neither Thorp nor Cullinane would be drawn on details about their venture.

However, Cullinane did object to the new venture being called a "consultancy" but then declined to describe it, saying that would give its intentions away.

He said it would be different to anything in New Zealand and that he was talking with potential clients.

Wellington-based chief executive Kim Wicksteed, who retires from Saatchi later this month, has also caught the consultancy bug. His company will be called Advice, but Wicksteed said plans were still in the embryonic stage and he was looking forward to playing lots of golf.

Hutcheson, creator of the infamous "Auckland A" slogan and symbol, said he had four clients for his new venture, including one public company. He said the other three were innovative start-ups and he plans to be a director of some. He also intends to co-author a book on "helping people who have ideas".

The Lighthouse, says Hutcheson, will be helping "dress people up in their Sunday best". He also wants to start a "communication cluster".

Hutcheson's leaving, which Christie says was well-flagged, comes at the end of a tough time for Saatchi & Saatchi. Client losses include brands Lion Red and Steinlager from Lion Nathan, and publisher ACP. The Wellington office lost WestpacTrust's direct marketing account, which led to redundancies.

Christie said the agency would be going into 2003 "with a great deal of gusto".