W
e arrive earlier than
the rest of the team,
the Ortigas traffic
dividing the group
into one that’s a little late and
another that’s a little bit more.
We apologize for not making it
on time but the NuWorks welcoming
committee, led by Jeff Saez, Chairman
and President, don’t seem to mind.
They welcome us anyway, each
one, by our names, flashed in the
reception area’s huge LED monitor.
It was probably the shortest
and most entertaining wait of our
lives, barely noticing the doors
pushing open over an intense battle
of Marvel versus Street Fighter in an
old school video game machine–
just one of NuWorks’ installations
serving its purpose, an early hint to
exactly what the office is all about.
“Everything has a meaning.
Everything has a purpose here.
Everything is intentional. From
the layout design to the spaces,
we like everything to inspire and
stimulate interaction,” shares Jeff.
Indeed, every part of the small
reception area provides a point of
conversation. From the phoenix
graffiti slash showcase wall to the curly
brace symbolizing NuWorks’ creative
philosophy known as ‘storyteching’
which they define as telling human
stories through creative technology.
“The phoenix inspires our
company–how we are evolving and
transforming through time.”
Before finally moving on from the
reception area, Jeff takes out a piece
of paper containing what looks like
a floor plan, interestingly forming a
shape of a horse. “We call it the dark
horse because that’s who we are in
the industry. Usually, they know
us as a small agency with relatively
small capabilities but we surprise
our clients and also our competition
when we win pitches against them.”
This is just one of the ‘happy
accidents’, as Jeff calls it, that the
universe has conspired for NuWorks
to achieve. Another is the very idea
of how the digital advertising agency
turned full service innovations agency
that drives digital transformation
for their clients came to be.
“We had humble beginnings.
I was employed with New Media
Worldwide, one of the first digital
agencies in Manila. I was an art
director, then an account manager
and after a year, a media manager.
Unfortunately, at that time, they
closed shop. And that’s where I met
my partner, Tom de Leon,” he recalls.
In a span of seven years,
those small beginnings now seem
like a blur. With over a hundred
people with diverse expertise
and skill set, NuWorks has moved
from just doing websites and
technology products to providing
transformative business solutions.
For Jeff, this success, more
than anything is thanks to its
people, aptly located at the neck
of the horse where the bloodlines
flow. “This is where production,
creativity and innovation happen.”
Putting a premium on the brains
behind each successful pitch and
project, NuWorks has provided its
Creatives perch in the common area to get a better view of a presentation.
July - August 2016 | adobo magazine
THE FIRM
THE FIRM
153