Focus on Manchester – David Bell, Chief Executive of Cheetham Bell JWT
Tom Holmes
Founder & Chairman
Creativebrief
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Following our recent feature City Brand Leaders – Manchester, we interviewed a select group of leaders from Manchester’s top agencies to help focus on the Manchester brand and consider their own agency vision.
After graduating with a Ph.D in Ancient Greek from Edinburgh University, David decided against becoming a vicar or lecturer, headed to Manchester and quickly ended up in the world of advertising. He set up Cheetham Bell in 1992 with Andy Cheetham. The agency grew to become regarded as Manchester’s creative hotshop winning clients such as Vimto, Umbro and the Manchester Evening News.
Cheetham Bell merged with JWT Manchester in 2001 to form Cheetham Bell JWT and worked on many famous brands such as Kelloggs Cornflakes, Lemsip, Magnet Kitchens and John West. In 2012 David Bell and Andy Cheetham celebrated the 20th year of their partnership, the longest in the current Manchester advertising scene.
TH: David, what does the Manchester brand stand for?
DB: I’m not sure Manchester has a particularly defined brand nor do I think it should. Cities are living, evolving entities. To one person, Manchester is a football city, to another a rainy northern outpost, to another the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
TH: Are the city’s brand values reflected in your own agency culture?
DB: No. CBJWT is a brand in its own right, defined by the talented people who work there, not the location.
TH: Does being based in Manchester influence your creative output? If so, how?
DB: No
TH: What makes your agency offer different?
DB: We are relentless in pursuit of the simple, compelling idea.
TH: Why should clients consider sourcing work from Manchester agencies?
DB: Either because they want the convenience of having an agency on their doorstep because they too are based in Manchester or because they’ve seen work that particularly impressed them.
TH: What sort of clients do you particularly want to attract?
DB: Any who want a simple, compelling idea.
TH: What work have you done recently makes you really proud?
DB: John West ‘The story behind the can’ campaign’.
John West – Dimitri’s Combover TV Ad
TH: What local brands do you most admire and why?
DB: Urban Splash. They did so much to help regenerate the North West
TH: Are there any local marketers who have inspired you?
DB: Peter Draper, ex-Umbro and Man Utd was great to work with.
TH: What business would you most like to win?
DB: I’d love to get Kelloggs and Reckitt Benckiser back – both lost through global realignments.
TH: Thanks David!
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