Flemish creatives Ostyn, Staes and Dalla-Riva lead Joe Public in Antwerp
Manuel Ostyn and Pieter Staes will lead the new Joe Public branch in Antwerp as creative directors. Mélanie Dalla-Riva becomes strategic director of the Flemish branch. It is known in Belgium as top creations at advertising agency Wunderman and previously works in three positions at advertising agency Wunderman.
The news of new establishment was announced last week, Adformatie reported. Joe Public is active in Amsterdam, Johannesburg and therefore also in Antwerp, has a digital agency Springbok is a partner. The years later, the produced Take away advertising model from Joe Public is further rolled out internationally, according to the agency.
Unpretentious approach
Ostyn says: ‘I was soon charmed by Joe Public’s down-to-earth Take Away approach, which shows creative daring. The founders in the Netherlands (Antoine Houtsma and Jeroen van Eck, ed.) have thus earned my respect. And I like to do that.’
Dalla-Riva adds: ‘Not entirely unimportant within this model: no pitches. Clients are free to come and go. We would prefer them to come, we would like a brand, but standing places and permanent contracts are not an option.’
Staes explains: ‘The offices in South Africa and the Netherlands prove that the model works, it cannot be otherwise in a network of creatives and strategists in charge. As a creative I can only applaud that.’
The absolute top
‘In Belgium, this news hit like a bomb!’, says Antoine Houtsma when asked. ‘It is true that we ‘only’ start in Belgium, but with the absolute top. Off to London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Milan’, he concludes with a wink.