Think HBR

20TH ANNIVERSARY FOR OUT OF THE SQUARE

Founder of Newcastle advertising agency Out of the Square, Marty Adnum, has always been passionate about the region and proud of his OOTS family – staff and clients.
 
“Since we started in 1997, ideation has always been the key. In fact, an old boss once told me my ideas were ‘too out of the square’, so finding a name for the business was easy. We use a realistic mix of commercial and creative knowledge to ensure the best outcomes for our clients. And doing this from Newcastle (Australia’s best city) was paramount to me,” said Marty. “But ideas without follow through are just conversations over dinner, or at the pub, about what could have been.”
 
Celebrating 20 years, the Out of the Square team believe the best creative solutions come from a more free-range approach – where they cultivate their ‘out of the square’ thinking without constraint. A vital ingredient is fun.
 
“We do the research but also trust our well-honed instincts, because we think that’s how authentic insights get up. That’s the stuff that makes an audience genuinely feel something. Nobody wants to be simply advertised to – they want to be engaged and entertained.”
 
This thinking has attracted significant clients, including Australia’s largest ski resort, Perisher which they have held for over 18 years. And more recently, locally respected organisations like Port Waratah, Greater Bank, Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools and Newcastle Airport have collaborated with OOTS on successful brand development and marketing campaigns.
 
“We’ve evolved and grown a lot in 20 years. We’re extremely grateful for the opportunities we’ve had and thrilled for our clients’ success. We’re proud of what we do and why we do it, but we’re not interested in the ego and wank that our industry has a reputation for. That sort of excess we save for the Christmas party.”

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