Special US Is Building a Team That Loves to Work Together

Independent creative agency Special Group is continuing its momentum in the US, making leadership signings over the summer to follow up on recent wins and work for Hanes, Monkey Shoulder and Uber.

CCO and partner Amy Ferguson started at Special US in June, and after a few months of making her creative mark at the New York office, she was reunited with her long-time collaborator, Shannon Nunn, who assumed the role of president in September. The pair previously worked together for around five years at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where most recently they were CCO and MD, respectively.

Excited to rekindle their partnership and put the New Zealand-founded agency “on the map creatively, commercially and culturally” in the US together, Shannon and Amy spoke to LBB’s Ben Conway about their teamwork and upcoming goals.  

LBB> Firstly, congratulations both on the new roles! Shannon, besides reuniting with an old creative partner, what attracted you to Special? Special has its origins in your neck of the woods – did that play a factor at all? 

Shannon> The chance to join an independent agency and help shape something from the ground up is what attracted me to Special. As an Aussie expat, yes, I’ve absolutely kept my eye on that market and what Special have achieved in Australia; it’s impressive – not just in terms of size and scale, but also the breadth of their client portfolio and the calibre of the work. I’m excited to have the chance to help forge a similar path here in New York. 

There is something unique about a global independent agency with origins in the Southern Hemisphere that just feels fresh and unexpected – the US is certainly the next frontier, and the team has done an amazing job of establishing a presence on the West Coast. Our ambition for the East Coast is big. And yes, working with Amy again is the cherry on top.

LBB> Shannon, you were last MD at TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York – what experiences and challenges have prepared you for your first president role? 

Shannon> I feel very fortunate to have learnt from some of the best in the business. I’ve had some amazing mentors that have helped mould me into the leader I am today. My six years at Chiat NY were an amazing crash course in leadership at a creatively driven agency collective. I bring all of that experience and knowledge to Special, and have the opportunity to apply the skills I honed at TBWA to a completely new and different situation. One of the things I love about Special is the shared belief that, as an independent agency, we have nothing holding us back. Or up. Just ourselves. 

LBB> Amy, you’ve been the CCO at Special in New York since June – how have you already started to make your mark on the creative approach and output?

Amy> Something that drew me to Special was that the work was already held to the highest standard. I knew I wasn’t joining an agency where I’d have to educate anyone on what good work is, or how to get there. Everyone here already knows. So I bring an enthusiasm and a commitment to continue to hold the work up to the highest standard, and I want to put Special New York on the map creatively, commercially and culturally. My initial goals were to win some new biz and put some good work out into the world. Happy to say we’re very close to achieving both of those goals. 

LBB> You both spent roughly five years working together at TBWA\Chiat\Day – what made your dynamic so seamless? What excited you about rekindling that partnership at Special? 

Amy> The funny thing is that for the first couple years of working together we barely interacted. It was peak covid and we were on different accounts.

Shannon> Yeah, Amy was too cool for me back then. But then we both got promoted at the same time and I invited Amy to lunch. We shared a plate of fish tacos and decided at that point we would conquer the world together. 

Amy> They were really good fish tacos. In all seriousness, we trust each other and we believe in our people. We also try to laugh as much as possible. 

Shannon> The thing I like most about our partnership is the fact that we just say it how it is. We absolutely push each other, but we take care of each other as well.

Above: Shannon and Amy

LBB> Why do you think having that experience together and close partnership between the creative and business side of the company is so important?

Shannon> Above all, we believe in the power of a team. It’s less about departments or disciplines and more about a group of smart people rallying around a business problem, and solving that problem with creativity and hard work. 

Amy> Yes, this is an industry of people, first and foremost. And when the people you work with love to work together you can feel it. Everyone feeds off of it. We genuinely love to work together and love to build teams around that feeling.

LBB> Are there any ways you think your partnership at Special will be different? What challenges might you have to overcome together? 

Amy> We knew this change wouldn’t be easy. We face a number of challenges here; they're just different challenges than the ones we faced previously. We are rolling up our sleeves and digging in on everything. It’s relentless but very exciting. 

LBB> When Shannon was announced as president, Amy said that you’ve both “always been aligned on our people and culture-first approach to leadership”. Can you elaborate a bit on this approach and how you’re going to implement it at Special US?

Shannon> Getting to great work, like really great work, is hard – that alone is hard enough. The very least we can do is create an environment where people feel safe and taken care of. 

Amy> Exactly, it’s impossible to do this job well if we’re not having fun and not being kind to each other. I’ve always said, work hard, have fun and go home. 

LBB> What are your short and long-term plans for Special US? What are you looking forward to in the rest of 2024 and beyond? 

Shannon> We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with some amazing brands, and we are about to break some exciting work that we are really proud of. 

Amy> The longer term plan is to keep doing amazing work and to make a name for Special in NY.