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Namibian rain, sun and dust explain Weatherman and Co.’s identity

Nicky Shermer

Nicky Shermer

Weatherman and Co. is on a quest to change the landscape of advertising in Namibia. The new advertising agency in the O&L stable will now battle it out with Loerie award winners, Advantage Y & R, Ogilvy and Adforce PAG. But Weatherman and Co is no newcomer to advertising, tracing its origin to the renowned Jupiter Drawing Room of Cape Town.
Managing Director Nicky Schermer said, “Weatherman and Co is a below, above, on, through and beyond the line agency, born and raised in the digital age. We bring a unique mix to the status quo and our vision is, through our depth of expertise and services, to lead the marketing industry in Namibia. The Namibian market is a growing one and the ad industry is as robust as it is in other more mature markets.

Schermer added, “The hiring of experienced staff can be a challenge, however we aim to hire locally only and really focus on skills development within the industry.  Due to this, we feel like there is real opportunity within the ad industry here. We are optimistic about sourcing and growing local talent and there is a great need for that. New players always bring an interesting dynamic to the table so we’d like to see how the rest of this year plays out. We’ll certainly be looking to win some new business this year.” “Other agencies that currently successfully manage O & L accounts will continue to do so. Weatherman and Co is not an in-house agency and so no O & L brand is obliged to use their services unless they choose to. All Namibian agencies will be able to bid fairly for O & L accounts in future. Weatherman and Co will be treated like an independent ad agency,” Schermer added. “In Namibia, life starts and ends with the weather. Rain shapes, dust builds and the wind does it all over again. We see ourselves as a weatherman, the rainmakers for our clients and the advertising industry as a whole. We are here to be the main source of navigation for brands in a world where choices are vast and consumer needs, competition, the economy and the environment for brands are ever changing, Starting a new operation that will make an impact to the communications industry in Namibia feels like a great opportunity to be a part of. ” Schermer concluded.
Schermer, a University of Cape Town graduate, has logged almost ten years in the advertising industry. She started her career at Haygarth in London as an Account Manager in 2006 and then moved onto the Jupiter Drawing Room in Cape Town in 2009 where she served as Group Account Director before being appointed Managing Director of Weatherman and Co in February 2013. At the Jupiter Drawing Room, she handled the very lucrative Windhoek Lager account for O&L.

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