Open Agency

In 1983 we decided to give it 6 months

After paying for a posh dinner in Covent Garden, over which they discussed the idea of starting a new design business, Mike Horseman and Gary Cooke didn't have a lot left in their bank accounts. But with £200 each they decided to take the plunge.

With no experience in packaging design that's what they set out to do. With confidence and a belief that they couldn't fail, they approached Marks & Spencer. So began a decade of packaging design, including work for Sainsbury, Tesco, Somerfield, Woolworths, Macro and Boots.

In the nineties corporate print and literature rubbed shoulders with Kettle Chips and Shampoos. In 1999 Horseman Cooke merged with a larger business, part of the AMV Group. There were too many names to fit on one sign and so they rebranded as Open Agency.

Although we left the AMV Group 7 years ago we kept the name and though technically speaking Open Agency as a name hasn't been around for 25 years the nucleus of the company has remained unchanged. So it was right and fitting to celebrate and celebrate we did.

Because Ag is the symbol for silver and also part of our company name, it became our brand for the year.
After all the Champagne had been drunk the Ag 25 years from now Horseman and Cooke may be spending their twilight years on yachts and the golf course but let's hope what they started in 1983 will still be going strong.