The Chief Executive Officer of TBWA\Concept Unit Nigeria, George Isitua-Onukwu, who previously served as Executive Business Director and COO, has said that agencies must move “beyond the brief” to remain relevant in a market disrupted by technology, shrinking budgets, and competition from MarTech and AdTech platforms.

He noted that: “Clients now want to work faster and at lower cost. Speed and craft are being commoditised. Clients ask: why pay for a studio when ChatGPT can write the script, and AI can produce music and voiceover for under N50,000?” he said.

His response is a new business model centred on ‘brand economics’. “What if creativity were treated as an economic asset, not a service? Companies that own things outperform companies that sell services. Creativity without ownership is philanthropy,” Isitua-Onukwu stated.

Isitua-Onukwu who became Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2026, succeeded Kelechi Nwosu, now a board member as Non-Executive Director and shareholder.

The change, announced at a press conference, positions the 42-year-old agency to move from a campaign-led service model to what it calls a “disciplined, future-thinking creative company” focused on product development, intellectual property ownership, and measurable marketing performance.

Founded in 1984 by Lere Awokoya and Kayode Idowu, TBWA\Concept Unit has consistently set the tone for Nigerian advertising. Under Nwosu’s leadership from 2005, the agency delivered landmark work that fused culture and commerce, including Spirit of Lagos and Proudly Made in Aba.

“TBWA\Concept Unit was founded on unconventional thinking. We have always been a strong creative organisation, moving products and ideas for ourselves and for clients,” Nwosu said.

Nwosu said the assets remain with the agency and that conversations are ongoing with the Lagos State Government to revive the initiative.

The agency is already building that architecture. It has launched an SME capacity platform, Oririndu, to celebrate Nigerian food, and EkoCypher for Nigerian rap culture. In film, it produced Detour and will release Cursed Desire in cinemas later in the year.

The strategy involves backward integration into tech, music, and film, joint IP ownership with clients, and new internal roles in product management, creative technology, and digital transformation.

“Challenging the status quo is in TBWA’s DNA. We are in conversations with partners on platforms and IP. Some clients are now interested in platforms and IP, not just retainers,” Isitua-Onukwu said.

He cited global formats like Big Brother and Love Island as examples. “Those are IPs. Why should agencies not own such platforms? We must stop focusing only on execution and start compounding value.”

As part of TBWA Worldwide, the Nigerian office is contributing Nigerian and African cultural insights to the network’s ‘Backslash’ intelligence platform and has delivered multi-country collaborations, including work for Apple and an eight-year MTN account.

The transition also addresses a critical industry challenge: talent drain. Experienced middle managers have migrated to client-side roles or abroad, while graduates often require a year of training to become productive.