In 1995, a group of nine long-time colleagues decided to go off and do their own thing. And so M&C Saatchi, not to be confused with its parent, Saatchi & Saatchi, was born.

Dubbed the “grownup start-up” at the time, today it's evolved into an emerging network with offices in 13 markets, including the U.S., UK, and Asia Pacific. Most recently, they opened offices in China and next is New Delhi with more expansion planned in Europe.

CEO David Kershaw said they have the advantages of having shared a collective journey and being entrepreneurial in spirit. And the key people are all shareholders, giving them a bigger stake in keeping clients on board and profitable.

Their vision is to remain independent and to keep growth manageable however, meaning no more than 25 markets. Just as important, they aim to keep it simple.

Nick Hurrell, chairman of M&C Saatchi Europe, said their work should reflect a brutal simplicity and thought. In short, SURTS: simple universally recognizable truths.

And their reel reflected their philosophy with commercials for British Airways, the Royal Bank of Scotland, ANZ Home Loans and U.S. Tourism.

In a business where change has become a constant, theirs is a refreshing example of a team succeeding by sticking together.