VCCP Sets Up Global Studio to Challenge Production Methods

VCCP Group has launched a global content creation studio named Girl & Bear that aims to improve methods of advertising production that are under increasing pressure since the Covid-19 pandemic. While VCCP already had production capabilities in-house, Girl & Bear is a new model that centralizes film, audio, design, print, photography and digital production services into an integrated unit within its global network. Girl & Bear is headquartered in London but comprises 250 employees from across markets including Madrid, Prague, San Francisco, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Shanghai. VCCP has hired Anthony Austin, former executive creative director of Bartle Bogle Hegarty London, as executive head of production at Girl & Bear. Austin previously helped set up BBH’s in-house production unit, Black Sheep Studios, as well as Mother London’s in-house production facility, BOSH. Along with Austin, Girl & Bear will be led by managing director Claire Young and global head of operations Dan Montalbano, both of whom already worked at VCCP. Girl & Bear’s leadership team will report to VCCP London chief executive Andrew Peake and group chief creative officer Darren Bailes. The studio’s first clients include Domino’s, O2 and White Claw. One key differentiator of Girl & Bear’s approach is a greater emphasis on technology in the production process. It has developed a proprietary software, named “The Pathway,” that provides a system through which clients can manage and automate some aspects of multi-format and multi-language productions. “Productions have become incredibly complicated. We need to adapt them easily, quickly and cost effectively, and technology is fundamental to bringing that scale,” Montalbano said. Craft comes first While in recent years, some agencies set up in-house production units to save on costs, Girl & Bear’s management team emphasized that the studio will not sacrifice craft for greater efficiencies. “Too often clients are made to choose between brilliantly crafted work and being able to scale that across platforms and markets. Rarely are those things brought together in a way that we know we’ll be able to offer at Girl & Bear,” Austin said. VCCP will continue to work with external production companies, and there would be some scenarios where Girl & Bear and outside production partners collaborate on projects. But Young said the creation of Girl & Bear elevates the role of production within the agency and gives a centralized home to all the “makers” across the network–designers, art workers, post producers, film and content creators. “We wanted to create a Willy Wonka factory, if you like—a fun environment where makers can empower each other, which we believe will lead to better work,” she said. “Historically not enough agencies have told the story of the people who make the ideas and translate them into the real world. Demands on production teams are greater than ever. The best idea in the world means nothing if we can’t bring it to life.” Girl & Bear’s creation was also influenced by shifts in the production sector that were accelerated during the pandemic, such as remote working and a greater reliance on technology. “What the pandemic did was show that walls and location don’t matter as much as they used to. We can tap into offerings in different offices. It allows us to take a borderless approach to production,” Montalbano said. Girl & Bear will partner with organizations such as Free The Bid, BRiM, Justrunners, Brixton Finishing School and the School of Communication Arts to ensure its production teams are more diverse and inclusive. It is also working with AdGreen and Greenshoot to improve the sustainability of its productions. Pret a Manger to Strengthen International Comms With VCCP Appointment

The Future of Agencies

VCCP Sets Up Global Studio to Bring 'Borderless' Approach to Advertising Production

The agency has integrated its services as a response to shifts in the industry

Brittaney Kiefer

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Brittaney Kiefer