"Made is a creatively led agency based on a new methodology of personalizing brands we call Made Life - making them three dimensional," says Jonason.

Launched by Leo Burnett as a specialized fashion and lifestyle shop in May 2002, Made's three initial clients, clothiers Stefanel, J. Lindeberg and Bjorn Borg Underwear, were lured aboard by Jonason's talents.

The reunion of Jonason and Johan Lindeberg marks the reconstitution of one of fashion branding's most successful teams. From 1990 until 1996, the two Swedes spearheaded the print and TV ads that made Diesel famous, Jonason as CD of Paradiset DDB, Lindeberg as International marketing director. Lindeberg, the sort of holistic marketer whose attentions focus as much on product as pitch, launched his own, eponymous fashion brand after leaving Diesel. Working with notables such as photographer/director Johan Renck, Lindeberg produced much of his own advertising, but when Jonason moved to London, he decided to move his roughly $1.3 million US account to Made.

"It's great to work with Joakim again, he is very brave," says Lindeberg from his London HQ. "It's hard to explain our relationship since we go by intuition and don't need to talk much. We are both highly demanding and want to build internationally, not just locally." The first J. Lindeberg campaign out of Made is a print-based pop art/rock 'n' roll effort photographed by Peter Gehrke.

"When I started working with Diesel," says Jonason, "Johan was the only one with marketing perspective. We knew the 'person' that is Diesel across all media. With Made, we are formalizing that way of thinking, which is very much about creating interesting and exciting brands, nationally and internationally."

Stefanel, Made's heaviest client (with annual turnover of about 250 million euros) first came to Jonason in November 2001 when the creative was working with London's Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper. The London shop beat out Paradiset DDB, Stockholm and, when Jonason left Euro RSCG (following that shop losing of the Citroen account) for Made, Stefanel followed. The first Made TV work for Stefanel was directed by Acne through Outsider in Southern Spain, and is set to break in August. Stefanal's corporate mission state regarding its ads reads:

"The messages consumers receive through Stefanel's advertising are exactly the same as those transmitted by the Group's products and collections: freedom, being contemporary, fantasy."

Jonason says the Pan-European Stefanel work slated to roll out this autumn will encompass print, film and interactive executions. For Bjorn Borg Underwear, Jonason says the brand is already strong in Northern Europe, so a campaign to set up a new platform and position for the underpants brand in other regions is also in the pipeline. Borg's gitch account was also previously with Paradiset DDB.

It would, of course, be wrong to omit the other founding members of Made from this report: CEO Simon Moore is a founding partner and was formerly with agency Assessments International. He and Jonason share a 50% stake in Made with Leo Burnett. Also Made are marketing director Emma Trotman and art director Tove Langset, with more possible additions and mentions of future openings in New York and Tokyo on the horizon.

That said, Jonason's gleaming international resume shoulders much of the hype surrounding Made's launch. Paradiset DDB's Diesel work won a Cannes Grand Prix, but the international focus of that branding and the work Jonason handled briefly while at now defunct, internationally oriented London shop Cave Anholt Jonason, will no doubt serve the European/Japanese/American focus of the fashionista clients fuelling the agency.

The rapid response of three of the creatives' previous clients to the new venture demonstrates savvy on the part of Leo Burnett for bankrolling Made. But then again, Burnett is on something of a boutique spree these days; in early June, it was announced that Leo Burnett Worldwide was partnering with top Swiss creatives to launch Zurich agency Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett. In that instance, Burnett is a minority shareholder with primary ownership held by CCO Martin Spillmann, CEO Peter Felser, MD Rolf Zimmermann, CD Peter Brönnimann and CFO Michael Waeber. The entire group was previously working through Advico Y&R and was lured in part by the fact that, according to Felser, "Leo Burnett respects the wish for entrepreneurial independence." The group is known for, among other top-shelf campaigns, their award-winning work for Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Webfiles:
Leo Burnett> http://www.leoburnett.com
Stefanel> http://www.stefanel.it
J. Lindeberg> http://www.jlindeberg.com