In a move that could presage a return to the full service agency of old, Leo Burnett is evolving its client facing process. The evolution happens Q1 2008 in the US and after that is planned to roll out worldwide. Presumably if it’s successful. But it looks like the real estate is staying the same; there’s no talk of teams being physically in the same space for now.

The agency group is claiming client flexibility as the key driver. Clients will dictate whether Burnett, media agency Starcom or digital agency Digitas takes the lead role in any particular relationship.

Publicis CEO Maurice Levy tells us:

“The new Leo Burnett model truly breaks the mold. In today’s opt-out world of consumer choice and control, clients need deeper, more measurable and more actionable insights to engage individuals at the right time and place, with the right content. (Leo will be) giving them customized service teams they can access through a single source. No other marketing partner is offering this scope and scale of benefits and options.”

It being my old shop, I have a soft spot for Leo. This is a sensible move but it lacks guts. Yes, it’s time for teams to work together again after being in separate silos for the past decade. But to work together means to be together. No matter how much technology you use to create virtual teams and the like, there’s nothing to beat creating advertising strategies and creative concepts face to face.

I suspect it’s still internal politics and power mongering that’s stopping the true full service agency appearing again. And because of these power bases, maybe the status quo will be with us for a long time yet. Uh well, at least it’s a start.