TBWA\Concept Unit Nigeria has announced a leadership transition and a new business strategy aimed at redefining the future of advertising, innovation and talent development in the country.
George Isitua-Onukwu will assume office as Chief Executive Officer from 1 July 2026, succeeding Kelechi Nwosu, who joins the agency's Board as a Non-Executive Director and shareholder.
The announcement, made at a press conference in Lagos, marks a strategic shift for the 42-year-old creative agency as it moves beyond a traditional campaign-driven model to focus on product development, intellectual property (IP) ownership and measurable business value through its new "Beyond the Brief" approach.
A new direction for Nigerian advertising
Founded in 1984 by Lere Awokoya and Kayode Idowu, TBWA\Concept Unit has remained one of Nigeria's most influential advertising agencies, delivering campaigns that blend commercial impact with cultural relevance.
During Nwosu's tenure, which began in 2005, the agency developed notable initiatives including Spirit of Lagos and Proudly Made in Aba, projects designed to promote civic engagement and showcase Nigeria's manufacturing capabilities.
"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," Kelechi Nwosu, Outgoing CEO, said. "From July 1, the mantle passes to George. We will continue to evolve despite the current business headwinds."
Nwosu disclosed that Proudly Made in Aba, developed with support from the Ford Foundation and the Abia State Government, highlighted the country's manufacturing potential, while discussions are ongoing with the Lagos State Government to revive the Spirit of Lagos initiative.
Beyond agency leadership, Nwosu has also played key roles within the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON). He has also championed initiatives such as Write Mothers, which supports women pursuing careers in copywriting, and the AAAN Women in Advertising programme.
Beyond campaigns to intellectual property
Speaking on the agency's future direction, Isitua-Onukwu said changing client expectations, emerging technologies and increased competition from marketing technology and advertising technology firms require agencies to rethink their traditional operating models.
"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.
According to him, the agency's response is a business model centred on what it describes as "brand economics", where creativity becomes an economic asset rather than a service.
"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.
He revealed that the agency has already begun developing proprietary platforms, including Oririndu, an SME capacity-building platform, a platform celebrating Nigerian food, and EkoCypher, which focuses on Nigeria's rap culture.
The agency has also expanded into film production, producing Detour and preparing to release Cursed Desire in cinemas later this year.
"Africa is a creative powerhouse. Nollywood is third globally, with over a billion streams monthly. Yet the infrastructure to monetise it often lies elsewhere. The gap between making and owning is not talent; it is architecture," he said. "We are building platforms to monetise our ideas so clients can engage culture, not just audiences."
Building products and long-term value
Under the new strategy, TBWA\Concept Unit plans to deepen its investments in technology, music and film while pursuing joint intellectual property ownership with clients. The agency is also creating new 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.
Drawing comparisons with successful international entertainment formats, he added: "Those are IPs. Why should agencies not own such platforms? We must stop focusing only on execution and start compounding value."
As part of the global TBWA network, the Nigerian office continues to contribute African cultural intelligence to the group's Backslash trends platform and has collaborated on international assignments, including projects for Apple and its long-running relationship with MTN.
Addressing the talent challenge
Talent retention also forms a key pillar of the agency's transformation strategy, with industry-wide migration of experienced professionals and changing career preferences creating significant recruitment challenges.
"Advertising must be attractive again. Young people now prefer tech because of flexibility. We must create new talent and culturise it," Isitua-Onukwu said.
To strengthen the talent pipeline, the agency plans to expand collaborations with universities, including Covenant University, while restructuring career development opportunities in emerging disciplines.
"We need graduates who can add value immediately, like accountants," he added.
Nwosu also stressed that sustainable innovation depends on stronger industry economics.
"Jimi Awosika said it: you cannot innovate without margins. Our industry's profit after tax is not comparable to banking. If we had taken equity in MTN when we helped grow it from zero to five million subscribers between 2001 and 2005, the story would be different. That is the problem we are fixing."
Vision for the future
Looking ahead, Isitua-Onukwu said his priority over the next three to five years is to build an agency that creates exportable intellectual property, retains top creative talent and delivers value beyond advertising campaigns.
"This is the future we are building: a company measured by economic impact, not just output," he said. "My role as CEO is to take this further."
Nwosu reaffirmed that he would remain actively involved in the industry despite stepping down as chief executive.
"I am rewiring, not retiring. I will teach, consult and remain engaged. Advertising is a jealous business."
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