Reg Lascaris: Back on target

One of the (unwritten) rules of journalism is not to show too much admiration for the people you interview. But sticking to this rule proves a bit challenging when for the first time I sit down with Reg Lascaris, one of SA's godfathers of advertising and cofounder of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris.

Our breakfast meeting seems doomed from the beginning, however. The restaurant we'd booked at, Mastrantonio in Illovo, is closed. I find Lascaris waiting for me outside the entrance. He apologises for the inconvenience.

We drive in his car - a newish Audi Q7 with a Sharks sticker at the back. He says this is his first new car in almost nine years. Before, he drove a 4x4, which he tried giving to his son, who politely declined saying the vehicle was a petrol guzzler. Lascaris says with the trading environment being probuyers, he decided to spoil himself. Lascaris has four children - two sons and two daughters - none of whom is in advertising.

We arrive at Thrupps Centre and the first restaurant we try has no staff because of the taxi strike. Third time lucky, we eventually settle at Thrupps's restaurant for what has become a well-deserved breakfast.

What first strikes you about Lascaris (62) - who risked losing business when he agreed to do the ANC's first election campaign in 1994 - is that he's uncomfortable talking about himself. If you're in advertising or marketing, you will know how rare this is.

But TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, the creative agency he cofounded with John Hunt in 1983, is what everyone in the industry has been talking about. The agency has just "woken up" from a three-year creative slumber to scoop an unprecedented three Golds, one Silver and two Bronzes, plus the coveted Grand Prix, at the 2009 Cannes International Advertising Festival. Does this mean the giant is back?

"I'm convinced we're on the right track," he starts off, modestly. "No, I am positive we're back on track," he says. TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg won Cannes awards for its Trillion Dollar Campaign for The Zimbabwean newspaper. The campaign is a witty comment on Zimbabwe's depreciated currency.

Lascaris, whose title is regional president: Africa\Middle East, TBWA\SA, says TBWA's poor performance in the past three years has been difficult to swallow. After all, this is the agency that built the irreverent Nando's brand. Lascaris was also instrumental in the conceptualisation of SA's peace campaign in the 1990s, intended to prepare SA's psyche for the change in the political dispensation. That, he says, was one of his biggest highlights. He adds that TBWA's performance at Cannes has helped "re-establish" its reputation and confidence.

"In any business, the hardest thing to get out of is a dip. To stumble and fall has been hard. But we're back on track."

It's time to order. I go for fruit salad and Lascaris a full English breakfast.

"I think I deserve a bit of grease," he says, laughing almost naughtily. Swayed, I join him. Lascaris confesses he loves food, though he tries to watch what he eats. It might have to do with his French heritage. He was born to a Greek diplomat father and French mother. Red wine and Paris are two of his loves. He also speaks fluent French.

Lascaris's focus - in line with TBWA\Worldwide's 10-point plan - is to entrench the agency's presence in the rest of Africa and the Middle East, where he says the business is doing well. The group hopes to acquire three agencies in SA and two outside its borders.

He is involved in the launch of the Qatar Foundation, founded by first lady of Qatar Queen Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned. It's a huge project aimed at positioning the Middle Eastern country as a world centre of education excellence. Other clients include Nissan, Master Foods, Nivea and Pepsi.

Another goal of the plan, compiled in 2007, is to transform TBWA\Worldwide into one of the most creative companies. The approach is bearing fruit. Fast Company magazine this year ranked it 24th on its list of "The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies", which includes Apple and Google.

"I think one has to look for creativity in everything you do. I actually believe companies need a head of creative thinking to ask: Are we doing things differently?' " And differently is how Lascaris has always done things.

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