Sustainability consultancy Act Now has become Saatchi & Saatchi S, a sustainability division of Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide. The newly formed company is designed to activate corporate and consumer action to address environmental and economic stability.
According to Adam Werbach, founder and CEO of Act Now and newly named CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi S, “The idea is to take sustainability and popularize it so major brands will use it to make better products and to sell more of those products.”
Saatchi & Saatchi S will work on product innovation, engagement and sustainability training for companies.
The company will retain all of Act Now’s current clients, many of which were already connected to Saatchi in some way. No leadership changes have taken place, but according to Werbach, the company will be expanding its staff. Saatchi & Saatchi S plans to open new offices in London, Beijing, New York, Chicago and Fayetteville, AR, this year.
“We want to offer a real, deep experience and increase credibility by using sustainability to help improve businesses and extend the value of brands,” Werbach said.
The company will work alongside global shopper and retail marketing division Saatchi & Saatchi X, which works on package and aisle communication. “It’s a big move,” Werbach said, “moving away from commercial and focusing more on the shopper.” The X division works with companies including Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart.
Werbach explained why sustainability marketing is important. “Externally there’s a climate crisis which combined with global warming legislation is going to make fuel much more expensive,” he said. “There’s a real need to reduce the size of packages, toxicity in the soil, and our oil usage.”
