Hey, hey, we're The Monkeys of the advertising world
In 2006, Three Drunk Monkeys, as the company was called, consisted of "three guys working around a trestle table and fighting over one internet connection".
The now 100-strong workforce includes planners, art directors, writers, designers, artists, filmmakers, producers, digital experts and content managers, producing a variety of advertising and branded content for clients including Telstra, Ubank, Ikea, Sydney Opera House, Intel and Google.
The inspiration to start their own agency came when they were colleagues in an advertising multinational, in part from the book The Brothers: The Rise and Rise of Saatchi & Saatchi, and partly from a desire to do things differently.
"The advertising industry hadn't changed much in years," Mr Green says. "The 30-second ad formula was feeling pretty staid, and we could see that a lot of agencies weren't equipped to deliver what businesses were looking for, both in terms of skill set and ambition."
Mr Drape adds: "We saw an opportunity to broaden the concept of what an agency can offer beyond traditional advertising. We wanted to focus on storytelling, and use a variety of different channels, be it TV, online or mobile technology."
Beginning with $10,000 from each of the founders, their first project was TV sitcom :30 Seconds.
A commission to promote ABC show The Gruen Transfer established their reputation as purveyors of provocation. Creating three products bearing the show's name, The Monkeys created ads for them and convinced the ABC to run them. Complaints flooded in.
They upped the ante by creating spoof ads for their own made-up products. Outrage turned to engagement, and 1.2 million viewers tuned in for the first episode, making it the ABC's highest-rating launch.
Launching in the middle of the global financial crisis meant there were a few anxious moments. "On the road one day, a client called to inform us they were pulling out, not knowing they were 40 per cent of our income," Mr Drape says. "We spent the rest of the afternoon in a roadside pub."
Mr Green says winning Young Entrepreneur of the Year would be welcome recognition for the hard work of the past seven years, and could also inspire people burning with a business idea.
"Everyone has a business idea in them, but not everyone does it," he says. "The hardest thing is to start.
"You also have to be realistic; you're taking on something you think about 24/7. Forget about work-life balance - work is life."
The Monkeys' latest adventure is a new design agency called Maud, in which the three founders are enjoying diversifying into public relations, marketing and events.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
The Monkeys were founded by Justin Drape, Mark Green and Scott Nowell. They began in 2006 as a small operation called Three Drunk Monkeys — described as “three guys working around a trestle table and fighting over one internet connection.” Each founder contributed $10,000 to get going, and their first project was a TV sitcom called :30 Seconds.
The Monkeys grew into a roughly 100-strong creative company offering a mix of advertising and branded content. Their team includes planners, art directors, writers, designers, artists, filmmakers, producers, digital experts and content managers, and they focus on storytelling across TV, online and mobile channels.
According to the article, The Monkeys have produced work for major clients including Telstra, Ubank, Ikea, the Sydney Opera House, Intel and Google.
A breakthrough was their provocative commission to promote the ABC show The Gruen Transfer. They created three products bearing the show’s name, convinced the ABC to run the ads, and then made spoof ads for fictitious products. Complaints initially flowed in, but the campaign drove engagement and helped the show’s first episode reach 1.2 million viewers — the ABC’s highest-rating launch at the time.
Launching in the middle of the global financial crisis created some anxious moments. The founders recall a client pulling out who represented about 40% of their income, which put them under significant pressure — an episode they remember spending the afternoon processing in a roadside pub.
Maud is a new design agency launched by the three founders as part of The Monkeys’ latest expansion. The move reflects their desire to diversify into areas such as public relations, marketing and events beyond traditional advertising.
The founders felt the advertising industry hadn’t changed much and that the 30‑second ad formula was becoming stodgy. They saw many agencies weren’t equipped to deliver what businesses needed in terms of skill set and ambition, so they broadened the concept of an agency to focus on storytelling and multiple channels (TV, online and mobile).
The founders emphasise that the hardest part is starting. They say you must be realistic about the commitment — you’ll think about the business 24/7 — and suggest letting go of the traditional work‑life balance idea, noting bluntly that for them “work is life.” Winning awards like Young Entrepreneur of the Year would be welcome recognition, they add, and could inspire others with business ideas to take the plunge.
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