Former M&C Saatchi PR global chiefs launch new agency

M&C Saatchi PR’s former global MD, Gary Wheeldon, and global executive creative director, Steve Strickland, have launched a new London-based creative comms agency, Talker Tailor Trouble Maker, for brands looking to “upstage the status quo”.

Talker Tailor Trouble Maker will operate as an “online shop” for brands, which includes launch client The English National Opera; the agency has been briefed to offer creative and strategic advice to ENO CEO Cressida Pollock directly.

Strickland said: “We’re looking to partner with client brands that want to cause some trouble. Behaving like a challenger is not simply the preserve of start-ups, every brand can have a little more fun with its comms.”

Talker Tailor Trouble Maker offers services centred on four key areas; creative, content, connections and communication.

It also says that it is committed to never “white-labelling” third party suppliers, or marking-up third party suppliers, brought on board to service clients.

Wheeldon said: “We are truly committed to creating a business that does not white label or whitewash. We will put mutuality at the heart of everything we do.”

With almost 20 years’ experience, Wheeldon started his career at Launch PR, spending seven years at the agency before moving to freuds.

During his six year tenure at freuds, he worked on its biggest UK consumer PR account, Asda Walmat, ran PR activity for Mars and took charge of the agency’s luxury and lifestyle team. He joined M&C Saatchi PR as global MD in 2015.

Before Talker Tailor Trouble Maker, Strickland held three creative director roles at agencies; Weber Shandwick between 2009 and 2011, freuds from 2011 to 2015, and most recently M&C Saatchi PR, which he joined early last year.

While at M&C, he was tasked with “safe-guarding” the quality of creative products globally across its ten offices.