IDEAlliance has announced that Draftfcb, an international creative agency with offices in 94 countries, has achieved IDEAlliance G7 Process Control and Conformance (G7 PCC) Master Qualification, becoming the world's first creative agency to have its capabilities in media production qualified through independent testing.

The IDEAlliance G7 PCC program assists printers, agencies and premedia operations implement process control and best practices to create lasting efficiencies and productivity gains. Draftfcb manages its media production through an internal production group called Pipeline PS. Pipeline PS, while already a highly automated production studio, was seeking additional efficiencies through advanced process controls, and looked to G7 PCC Certified Expert Ron Ellis, of Ron Ellis Consulting, and the IDEAlliance G7 PCC program to achieve its productivity gains.

"Draftfcb was an early proponent of IDEAlliance's G7 methodology, requiring our vendors to adopt color spaces such as GRACoL and SWOP," remarked Anthony Bellacicco, Director of Technology at Pipeline.  "Integrating the G7 PCC program into our operation has improved our production systems and provides our staff with fundamental skills they can use both when creating files and specifying, and evaluating print. The result of the process was enlightening and gave us new tools we can use to evaluate and communicate color."

"The G7 PCC program is tailored to serve the needs of multiple segments of the media supply chain," said Joe Fazzi, Vice President Media Production Technologies for IDEAlliance. "Leading creative agencies such as DRAFTFCB can utilize G7 PCC to assure consistency and quality in their proofing and brand color management. As the first creative agency to achieve G7 PCC Master Qualification, we applaud Draftfcb's leadership and support of the G7 PCC qualification program."