London media planning and buying agency AMS has partnered with two former Mediacom directors to launch a new office in Leeds.
Steve Empson and James Whitehead worked for Brilliant Media before its acquisition by Mediacom in 2011.
AMS chief executive Paul Phelps said: “The north used to be well served by a plethora of independents, but much less so now. We’d like to redress the balance and provide clients with a greater choice, notwithstanding the fact that the recent challenges faced by the networks make the ‘indie’ proposition more relevant than ever.”
Empson added: “AMS has a proud heritage and we both wanted our next chapter to be working with like-minded individuals who are a client, not network, focussed.”
Whitehead said: “We believe clients are increasingly seeking an alternative to the network agencies. We aim to offer a high-quality service, delivered by experienced practitioners, with no potential conflict of interest to compromise the ideal media strategy.”