Media Headliner: I-level spurns suitors for life as an independent.(i-level hires old media veteran David Pattison)

The new-media agency has turned to the old-media veteran David Pattison to spearhead its expansion, Ian Darby writes.

The founders of i-level sound like frustrated teenagers made to listen, just once too often, to the latest Meat Loaf album in their dad's car.

After talking to several advertising holding companies about the future of his agency, Charlie Dobres says: 'If we hear the phrase 'it's about putting digital at the heart of our business' one more time, then I'll scream.'

It would be fair to say that i-level hasn't been that impressed with the vision provided for its business during acquisition talks, and last week its parent company, ILG Digital, announced the appointment of the former PHD Worldwide chief executive David Pattison as its own chief executive.

It's an appointment that announces i-level's intention to build itself as an independent network, at least for the time being. Pattison, who will take a stake in the business, has been charged with building the company's critical mass and, who knows, this could have the knock-on effect of making it a more attractive acquisition target.

I-level's founders are open about having talks with advertising groups However, Andrew Walmsley, the man who in 1998 convinced Dobres to join him in launching the business, says: 'We've never been against selling to somebody, but we just haven't seen anyone with a clear idea of how they would give the business a real boost.'

Dobres adds: 'We've never been shown a strategy that's better or different than our own. We've been seen as the 'finger in the dyke' - plug us in and get us to say hello to people around the world. So if we're braver about things we can be our own group.'