Five by Five: “ROI Pays the Bills But We Must Face Clients in a Long-Term Direction”

Revolution is in the air. It’s difficult to go a day without hearing bold talk of ‘transformation’ and ‘the new normal’, with the Coronavirus pandemic only accelerating appetite for change.

But finding the industry in such a rebellious mood suits the independent creative agency, Five by Five, just fine. With offices in Southampton, London, Sydney, and Los Angeles, this agency has kept adaptability as a watchword since its inception in 1979. In this industry, perhaps more than any other, reinvention is the key to sustained success.

Five by Five is the mastermind behind the global digital launch of every Activision title since 2006, including blockbuster title Call of Duty. When it came to 2019’s highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the agency was responsible for the production and delivery of over 3,000 ad placements across 28 countries and 18 languages. Devised in just 10 working days from conception to delivery, the flawless execution of the campaign cements Five by Five’s long standing success in tackling the demands of such industry titans. The LA office was, in fact, founded initially to provide an even greater support for gaming clients, now working with such names as Epic Games and Riot Games. 

Alongside providing multi-faceted support for some of the gaming industry’s biggest names, Five by Five remains the brain behind a myriad of campaigns, driving huge ROI and effectiveness for household names including The National Trust, B&Q and Screwfix.

Today, Five by Five is larger, and more creatively ambitious, than ever before - and yet still fiercely independent. Wanting to find out more about the agency’s intriguing set-up and heritage, LBB’s Adam Bennett spoke to the CEO of Five by Five global and managing director of Five by Five Australia (and brothers) Nick and Matt Lawton, creative directors, Ravi Beeharry and Andy Mancuso; operations director, Linda Pengelly; client service director, George Roberts and technical director, Adam Lawrance.

Above: The 2019 reveal trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Five by Five has been working with Activision on the Call of Duty series since 2006.

Adapt to Thrive

For Five by Five, keeping an open mind to new ways of working has kept the company competitive throughout a tumultuous period. Having taken over the reins of the company from their father, Nick and Matt Lawton have guided the agency through a string of unexpected challenges. “It was like the old man was playing a joke on us”, reflects Nick. “Soon after he retired, we had the global financial crisis and subsequent recession. The ultimate test. Now the pandemic has created a set of challenges we didn’t even know could exist.”

And yet, 2020 sees Five by Five expanding, particularly in a creative sense. Matt traces that evolution back to their early days leading the company. “When we came in we flattened the organisation, established new cultural norms, elevated expectations, and pushed accountability down through the business. We made sure to remove the fear of making mistakes and to start rewarding risk-takers. After thirty years of graft, that new energy was what we needed”.

The result has been a revolution in the agency’s creative ethos. Spearheading that has been the recently-appointed creative directors, Ravi Beeharry and Andy Mancuso. Like Five by Five, their creative partnership has stood the test of time, having started out in 1999 as classmates on the same visual communications course. “I remember the first time I met Andy like it was yesterday”, says Ravi. “He was making a load of noise outside my old student digs with a football under his arm. I shouted out the window and asked if he was playing footy - he shouts back, “Well what the hell do you think I’m doing with it!?”, and it’s been strength to strength since then, obviously”.

Having honed their creative instincts at Hakuhodo, one of Japan’s top agencies (“It was an amazing experience but I don’t think they ever got our British jokes”, laments Andy), the pair now find themselves tasked with nurturing the burgeoning creative savvy of Five by Five. “There’s some fantastic talent here”, notes Ravi. “We’ve always worked with great agencies with great ECDs, and now we’re definitely taking that ‘nurture’ approach. We’re really seeing some amazing work out of our creative department”.

Nodding in agreement, Andy explains that “we’ve worked in some huge agencies, and there’s nothing those guys have that Five by Five doesn’t as well - our job is just to elevate it. It’s an exciting time to be working here”.

However, there may be one small bit of progress the pair still need to make. “I’m not sure it’s just the Japanese who struggle with their gags”, jokes George Roberts, who sends a ripple of laughter across the team. What’s lovely to see is that, whilst many companies describe themselves as having a ‘family atmosphere’, this team truly embodies one both literally and figuratively.

Above: The announcement trailer for Epic Games' Fortnite's 50 v 50 game mode. Five by Five has been working with Epic Games from their LA office.

A Drop in the Oceanview

Perhaps Five by Five’s secret weapon has been their bespoke delivery software, Oceanview. For an agency working on enormous, multi-channel campaigns, the ability to plug delivery directly into the creative process has long been a boon. 

“We use it across all our business, in the UK, Australia and the US”, explains Adam Lawrance. “For full transparency, it’s the day-to-day hub that we work on and share - the unifying part of our culture”.

“The software was built around 12 years ago”, notes Linda Pengelly. “The advantage for us is that seamless integration across creatives, designers, account handlers and everyone in the team. There’s no danger of things getting buried internally in a big email chain or anything like that. It’s hugely efficient and from a collaborative point of view it’s a godsend”.

“The decision to create a bespoke platform for management and delivery has undoubtedly paid off”, says Adam. “There are a number of project management tools out there on the market, especially now, but you tend to find they’re list-based. We’re creatives, we wanted something visual and intuitive. So we’re delighted with what we’ve developed with Oceanview”.

And the advantages are not only felt on the agency’s side. “For clients, it makes life an awful lot easier”, says Matt. “We’re no longer dealing with the inevitable faff of countless approvals to get stuff out the door. And the clients definitely feel that speed and efficiency, which I hope is part of why they come back”.

Above: Don and Jenny's story from The National Trust's 'these are the places that make us' campaign. Five by Five delivered the emotive campaign in May of 2019.

Turn and Face the Strange

The in-built culture of constant improvement has put Five by Five in a good place to navigate the changes wrought by the pandemic. George, in his role as client service director, reflects on the evolving nature of client requests over the past half-year. “When things went into lockdown there was a clear focus on ROI in the short-term, and understandably so”, he says. “However, what we’ve seen more recently is a clear signal that long-term thinking is becoming more of a priority.”

“In our view, that’s a good thing. We can nail the short-term stuff and we’re well-versed in it, ROI pays the bills and there’s nothing wrong with that. The challenge, though, in terms of growth, is readjusting and putting yourself in a direction that’s going to work in the long term. I believe that we’re in a position to help clients face in that direction”. 

For Linda, her eight years at Five by Five have put her in a good position to observe the changes that ultimately led the company to this point. “I think in a way what hasn’t changed has been just as important as what has”, she explains. “Some things have changed dramatically but the culture, the ethos, and ultimately the reason I wanted to work here in the first place remains the same. Our independence has allowed us to make the changes we have and adapt quickly when we’ve needed to. But just as important has been hanging on to that independent spirit in the first place. It’s got us where we want to be, and bringing in Ravi and Andy is a great indication that we’re in precisely the right place”.

Create the Future

For an agency developing its creative capacities, Five by Five is remarkably confident in knowing what it is. “Creativity, for me, is about being curious”, says Adam. “That’s what resulted in Oceanview, for example. But technology isn’t always the solution - it’s about keeping those problem-solving skills sharp”. 

“Curiosity is what drives us”, agrees Ravi. “I’m a bit of a sponge. I love watching anything and everything that other people are watching, for example. I’m massively into a show now called Married at First Sight - not what I’d normally pick out, but it gets me thinking about stuff totally outside my own bubble. That’s what staying curious, and staying creative, is all about”. 

Whatever the future holds for Five by Five, the path to it will be independence and curiosity. It’s an approach which has worked for forty years and some things, perhaps, needn’t change.