LOVE have pulled off what’s believed to be an advertising industry first with the successful adoption of an orphan from the Ivory Coast. Young Curtis Billingsgate, 23 months, is from the suburbs of capital city Yamoussoukro and arrived in the UK last week, although he isn’t expected to start at the agency until mid-November.
Creative Director David Simpson was the man behind the adoption and suggested that in the future many agencies will be following suit. “LOVE’s whole ethos is “Ideas that make the world less ordinary” and what could be less ordinary than adopting an orphan from the Ivory Coast? Many agencies sponsor a well-known charity, like the NSPCC or something, but as far as we know no agency have actually adopted an orphan. Not even Trevor Beattie’s new shop – although it wouldn’t surprise me if you found Bil Bungay scouting around Yamoussoukro as we speak.”
Whilst the agency has been lucky enough to avoid most of the negative press and red tape that Madonna has been caught up in, Simpson suggested the process wasn’t as easy as it sounded: “It was a very difficult decision to make. No one was entirely sure where next season’s orphans were going to come from. It was a toss up between the Ivory Coast and The Democratic Republic of Congo. In the end we went with the Ivory Coast because of their spirited performances in the World Cup.”
Curtis (left) is looking forward to learning how to use InDesign and watching Manchester United play football
Curtis is expected to join LOVE’s award-winning ideas team, although it has been suggested that he may well be moved across into the artwork studio on a project-by-project basis. “Yes, that could happen,” Simpson added. “But we’ll just try and take one week at a time. We’re not even sure who’s going to take Curtis home at the weekends yet, although we’ve got one of the work placement kids working on a rota for him. Of course, everyone’s going to want to take him home for Christmas, but I saw him first, so I get first dibbs.”
Posted By Reuters
All I've got to say is "Go easy on the Phil Collins!"
The kid's got enough to cope without without having to sit thru Sususudio.
Posted by: Mog | November 03, 2006 at 11:59 AM
What a great kid. I'm sure that he'll do great, and I can imagine how excited he must be for the game. It's not everyday you get to watch one of the best football teams in the world.
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