I initially assumed that the story of $35 billion holding company mega-merger between Omicom and Publicis, which will create the world's largest advertising group, was just a rumour on Twitter.  When it became clear that it was true, I thought: bad news for the industry, good news for us at W+K and the other independents and small creative shops who are not part of some huge conglomerate.

It’s hard to see how this will benefit clients, make the work better, or help the talented people who work at Omnicom / Publicis. This is just another example of the homogenization of the business that makes agencies more alike, that focuses on scale rather than creativity and makes this industry less imaginative. I guess, as austerity bites round the world, and as other holding companies aim for scale, we’ll see more consolidation and less middle ground between giant agency groups and small independents.

Wieden + Kennedy is independent and privately owned. Always has been, always will be. We have no interest in becoming assimilated into a holding company structure. This merger won't change our strategy but it will emphasize how we differ from the mega-networks. Our structure is different but, more importantly, the values and principles that drive us are different. At W+K, the work comes first. For clients and talent who value creativity and originality, that’s a valuable distinction.

One doubts whether creativity was a consideration in this merger. It was done to increase shareholder value, achieve scale and cut costs. ‘Efficiencies’ of $500m are anticipated. The only way to achieve this is by cutting headcount. Which means cutting creative people.

We’ve found at W+K that truly brilliant creativity doesn’t come from scale; it comes from small teams of highly talented individuals given the autonomy to do their best.

Staying independent means W+K don't answer to the City, to shareholders, to a holding company or to some complex reporting structure. We can focus on the work, our clients and our people. And we can stay true to the founding principles of what Dan Wieden set this agency up to be: a place where good people can do the best work of their lives for inspiring clients.

That’s good for the work, good for our clients and good for our people.

This month sees the arrival of something rather special in our reception L-Gallery, a selection of ceramic work from artist William Edmonds http://www.williamedmonds.co.uk/. William employs varying mediums including paper, sculpture and sound, but his most recent work is in ceramics.

These pieces display a distinct passion for texture and pattern, with dripping glazes, engraved marks and splashes of colour. Each one is carefully crafted and no two of his creations are the same.There is also a humour within his work. Strange shapes, sometimes faces, gives the humble cup a comical personality. One can’t help notice the cheeky nod to eras past, notably the famous Troika potteries and classical Greek sculpture.

It’s true, William has made cups and vases here, but you wouldn’t want to drink earl grey from these little beauties, they deserve pride of place on your mantle. There's all kinds of wonderful work in his portfolio, drawing on many aspects of contemporary design. All we know is that his stuff is great and you can’t help but smile when you see it.

William is part of the Nous Vous collective, where the good work continues http://nousvouscollective.tumblr.com/. They are represented by WICCA artists, run by the lovely Laura Vent http://wiccaartists.co.uk/.