X3M Ideas is undoubtedly Nigeria’s leading Concepts and digital creative agency. Founded by Steve Babaeko, a public advocate and highly talented music executive, the agency  commenced operations on August 1, 2012 with a the single goal in mind, to completely redefine the way advertising is practiced and how it is perceived in Nigeria. Upon making its debut, the agency had set out for itself  the vision, to always be the partner that understands the brand and client through delivery of the most creative and effective ideas, backed up by sound strategy and unique thinking.

At X3M Ideas, there is a constant belief in creating superior value, not for the client alone but also, the  employee and  the agency shareholders.  As such, there is the constant push to continuously inspire its work force and people to aspire to always be the best.

X3M Ideas is definitely a one – stop – shop marketing communications company totally based 100% on ideas. In terms of its approach to creative executions, the agency believes strongly in covering the bases, which is the reason why it adopts a through-the-line marketing approach.

Indeed, it is common knowledge that X3M Ideas has created Consumer Footmarks, and  a proprietary tool which, often, it has deployed  to deliver tailored solutions for every of its clients campaign.

 This fact, it captured so vividly in the statement “We study and understand the consumer, We cut through with Trade and Channel activities, We expand our reach using Digital and Interactive Media and We always measure the impact of every campaign for further development”

At X3M Ideas, there is the strong belief that, its people are its biggest assets ,and for this purpose, employees are given  the opportunity for full fledged development- both professionally and personally. The agency is well equipped and  provides a global work culture for its people, a culture that creates  for them  opportunities for innovation, collaboration, constant learning, reward  and growth based on performance.

The agency’s service profile cuts across full service advertising, Digital Advertising, Brand Management, Media Planning, Media Buying as well as Strategy and Planning.

The agency’s  creative works force resolves around some extremely brilliant and creative minded individuals spearheaded by the idealistically radical and erudite CEO / Chief Creative Officer, Steve Babaeko, who  presently calls the shut as President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria , AAAN. Other members of the team includes  Mike Mille, constantly standing in place as Executive Creative Director. Fikayo Ogundairo handles the brief as Director, Brand Management and Strategy and   Lai Boboye doubling  as Visual Designer / Art Director.

Under  Steve Bbabaeko’s leadership, X3M Ideas has, in just a little above the space of one decade of operations recorded a phenomenal growth and expansion and was in 2017 listed as one of Nigeria’s fastest growing communications agency, with hundreds of staff, and a wide reach. The agency currently has  its operational offices spread out  across Africa including Lusaka, in Zambia, Accra in Ghana, and Johanesburg, in  South Africa. No thanks to Covid-19 pandemic, the agency is optimistic about expansions into Namibia and Cote d’Ivoire in the nearest future.

 In 2019, the agency’s CEO,Steve  Babaeko was recognized as one of the top 100 creatives in the world by Adweek, as well as Adweek’s list of 13 global creative leaders. He is also a member of the jury at the New York Advertising Festival, the Loeries, and Cristal Awards. In 2021, he was selected by the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival organisers as a member of the jury for 2021 edition of its Young Lions Creative Awards. The agency’s kept promises has continued to earn it global recognitions as one of the world’s best creative house.

X3M Ideas has earned its place in the minds of creativity loving Nigerians and this is rightly so. From the agency’s stables has emerged several musical gems such as award – winning Simi, Praiz and a string of  advertisement copies that have entertained Nigerians for years.

On the wall of the office of the CEO, X3M Ideas and AAAN President, Steve Babaeko, are paintings and frames to live by. A part of the writings depicts the agency’s philosophy “Shapeshift or die; and leadership philosophy by D.G – “Give the team what they need to create magic, and stay out of their way”. These philosophies have contributed immensely to X3M Ideas creative house which has become, overtime, known for – tenacity and breaking the boundries.  

Between 2012 when he started X3M Ideas and now, Steve Babaeko has become one of Africa’s most admired advertising CEOs. With branches in Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, X3M Ideas holds a big part in Nigeria’s $450 billion advertising industry and in the global creative world.

Under just a decade long legacy in its operations, X3M Ideas has worked on and produced multiple ground breaking creative works for many iconic local and international brands including Dstv, Globacom, Peak Milk, British American Tobacco (BAT), Conoil, Lacasera, Migo, Evans Baroque, Blue Band, Royal Exchange, Pernod Ricard and more.

When the company started in 2012, Etisalat was one of its first and biggest clients. The agency had led the campaign for the launch of the telecom company in 2008. In 2017, X3M Ideas resigned from the Etisalat account and added Nigeria’s largest telecom brand, Globacom to its portfolio. Presently the agency has added Dangote, Multichoice and FriestlandCampina WAMCO (Peak Milk).

Amongst the long list of creative works developed by the agency in course of year 2021 include

ESCAPE 2020, a creative master piece which basically encourages Nigerians and the world at large to rise above and overcome the damning impacts of Covid-19 pandemic. The agency also created a unique creative piece, tagged “Exceptional Ideas Due to COVID” in the year, and stating, “ Thanks to Covid, 2020 was  highly unusual, filled with lockdowns, economic problems, restriction on travel, social distancing etc. This made most Nigerians feel the year was doomed and they couldn’t wait for the year to end. So we made that happen, we gave them opportunity to escape the year. We created a multi-player board game that simulated all the big events of year 2020 as they happened across the year. BLM. Lockdowns, natural disasters etc. It added  “all you had to do was play to escape”.

Other campaign works developed in the year by the agency also include: Lacasera Super Heroes, Nirvana Headlines of Innocence, Evans Baroque Algafen, Mani – Body and Mind,  Mani Suicide Notes, Peak Milk Protein Breakfast, International Women’s Day, Awon Boyz,   CSR 2013 – 2019 among others.

Further more, the agency has been in the forefront of driving women’s  gender equality campaign in Nigeria and across Africa. Following the recent launch of the Nigeria chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, X3M Ideas has played pivotal role in addressing harmful gender stereotypes in the media, marketing and  communications industries which has been raging since the second wave of the feminist movement hit in the 60s. The agency is leveraging its wealth of influence and reach to use advertising as a force for progress by depicting positive portrayals of women and girls, and ensure the industry rejects all harmful stereotypes, including gender stereotypes.