If you have journeyed with us for any significant amount of time, you’ll know that we didn’t always go by the name David & Langton. So why the name change? And of course, who the heck is David and who is Langton?
The story begins.
My name is Tendai Luwo. I am one of the best young Digital Strategists in the country. I started out in 2013, working for a well-known global media company. It was a valuable learning experience in which I rubbed shoulders with some of the best creatives on the continent to bring you some of the biggest names in music today. In many ways it was a dream job “but a 9 to 5 is how you survive / I was tryna live it to the limit / And love it a lot” so I stepped out on my own. I spotted a niche where I could help talent to hone their brand acumen and present a more refined persona when negotiating trade deals. That is how Best in Artistic Development Agency or BAD Press Creative Agency was born.
The dream for the agency was lofty and motivation was high. But it wasn’t long before I realised that timing is everything in the world of entrepreneurship. I may have identified a gap in the market but was there enough of a market in that niche to sustain the company? So, soon after launching the agency, we pivoted towards servicing corporate clients looking for a creative competitive edge rather than sticking to the knitting of our artistic roots. We were now a boutique creative agency. This turned out to be an inspired strategic decision because growth soon followed. That growth also changed my vision and aspirations as to what the agency can become in the next decade. And to get there we needed a name to rally around. A name that wasn’t necessarily clever in a gimmicky way but a name with deep meaning. A grown up name that spoke to our vision of what we wanted to be. That was the genesis of David & Langton- a new age company with old school values.
A (NEW) BRAND IS BORN
Towards the end of 2019 I started wrestling with the idea of changing the agency’s name from Bad Press. The name had served us well as an eclectic creative agency. It had been a good ice-breaker at cocktails “Why Bad Press?” and more than one client had been impressed by the tongue-in-cheek humour. But we wanted to communicate that we were now evolving. Switching up the skinny jeans for crisp button-up shirts and jackets so to speak. Besides, in Africa we are big on the significance of names. My own name means “Be thankful”. There is a silent but implied “to the Lord” in that name. Indeed I have a lot to be thankful for: my team, my family, my health, my clients, my network and all my friendships over the years. What did Bad Press really mean? What did it represent? What values did it speak to?
With that in mind I started redefining the brand. ‘Highmount Consulting’, ‘Lamula Media’, ‘Hillside Creative’ and all manner of vaguely sentimental and nostalgic names made it into the hat and were discarded. Until there was one. David & Langton. Simple, laden with meaning and reverent in its proclamation. A name that felt just right.
SO WHO IS DAVID? WHO IS LANGTON?
The stories of David and Langton shall be afforded their own chapters in this blog series. However, in summary, David is short for David Luwo. My father. The man who raised me, educated me and was an unwavering pillar of support that empowered me to pursue my dreams.
Langton, is short for Langton Tsanga. My maternal grandfather. A larger than life figure in my life. He died when I was 16. A successful businessman and entrepreneur in his own right, my grandfather always epitomised a self-made man to me. He taught me the importance of hard-work, perseverance, family and entrepreneurship.
David & Langton. In a fast changing world you may sometimes lose your bearings. This name is a discreet homage to the men who made me. It is a name that celebrates them while anchoring me to the essence of who I am and the values I hold dear, while reaching out into the future I want to make for myself and the generations that follow.
That is our story. What is yours? And how can we help you to tell it more effectively? We have come a long way but the road ahead stretches into an exciting future within our borders and abroad. Join us.
