Formerly known as Designstein, Newton agency Run describes itself as “a strategic and creatively led advertising and design agency,” and it is headed by rather clever husband and wife team Raymond McKay and Laura Cibilich.
The win comes at a time when many larger organisations are looking at partnering with smaller, boutique style agencies, for their flexibility, adaptability and hands-on approach, and the newly minted Run has all that and more.
Designstein began back in 2008 as a business on the side for Laura, who was then working fulltime as a designer for an employer. Her sideline soon started to grow however, and for the past four years it has been a highly successful business employing both herself and her creative director husband Raymond, who came from a background in some of the country’s biggest and busiest advertising agencies.
Laura’s strength lies in the areas of strategic design, advertising and brand application, with particular expertise in brand ideation and typography. She has experience working across international brands like Lego, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Canon, Kelly Tarlton’s, Jagermeister, Mattel and Te Puia, and she is also a multi-disciplined designer and exhibiting artist. In other words, one highly talented woman and the perfect foil for her partner-in-crime Raymond, who was hired straight out of his degree at AUT to work as a creative at Colenso BBDO. He further honed his craft as an art director at the likes of Saatchi & Saatchi, Clemenger BBDO, Lowe, Draft FCB, DDB, and .99, and was the creative mind behind Wellington’s now iconic ‘Blown Away’ sign, chosen by public vote and commissioned by the Wellington Airport as a gift to the windy city.
The pair began working together in a purely organic way, as Raymond was freelancing and Laura needed more and more help with growing her business. “We work really well together as my strength is design whilst Raymond’s is more in the area of creative advertising,” says Laura, “and I found myself pulling him in on more and more jobs.” Working together full time seemed like the obvious move, and a few years on that move is certainly paying off. I wonder aloud if working with a life partner is more than a little challenging at times and Laura laughs before admitting, “We have times when we argue it out, but we are honest with each other at all times and it kind of works!”
The pair also has an extensive pool of contractors that they call on when needed, which includes additional designers, art directors, copywriters, creatives, photographers, graffiti artists and strategists. “Being able to pull in really specialised freelancers helps us maintain quality in everything we do,” says Laura, and ensures a fresh viewpoint on projects when it’s needed.
As well as the recent 2degrees win Laura is proud of the work that the agency has done with clients Niue Tourism, including a promotion last year at Auckland Zoo around the arrival of its new elephant, Anjalee from Sri Lanka via Niue. “The project brief was pretty tight,” says Laura, “and involved a competition entered via iPad on site that had to be in a prominent but waterproof place. There wasn’t the budget nor the time to build a hut or anything like that so we dropped a shipping container in within a week and off it went.” She says that the deadline was “fast-paced but fun,” and she cites situations like that where being a small, nimble agency is most definitely a major bonus. “We don’t have the hierarchy of other larger agencies,” she explains, “so we can be so much more hands on and monitor quality control and things like that a lot more easily.
“I also personally love seeing a project right from brief to completion, and if I was in a bigger organisation I just don’t know if I could be sure to get that kind of satisfaction.” It’s what keeps Laura and her partner doing what they do, and happy clients returning again and again for more. (HELENE RAVLICH)