Q] What kind of challenges did you face in the initial phase of starting your agency?
One of the biggest early challenges was convincing clients to let us handle production ourselves. Traditionally, there’s a separation between the creative agency, the production house, and the director, which often leads to diluted ideas and inconsistent execution.
From the very beginning, we were clear: if we write it, we want to produce it. Some brands were hesitant at first, but those who had seen the ROI and consistency in our past work gradually came on board. Over time, achieving that alignment became much easier.
Q] Do you think it’s now the era of young agencies? Are brands more open to working with newer teams like yours?
Good work speaks for itself, whether it comes from a legacy agency or a young one. Of course, some legacy agencies already have long-term retainers in place, which can make it harder for us to break in. But even then, brands that are truly looking for fresh thinking will find a way.
A global brand like Coca-Cola, for instance, wasn’t contractually tied to us but still chose to work with us because they believed in our work. Cracking legacy contracts is always a challenge, but working with Coca-Cola, a brand known for its strict processes, was a huge milestone for us. They had tried solving the brief with larger agencies and couldn’t quite get there. Eventually, they came to us, and we delivered. That was a big validation.
Q] Do personal relationships in the industry still affect New work coming to young agencies?
Yes, and honestly, that’s understandable, it’s human nature. People tend to work with those they know and trust. But when a brand is genuinely looking for better work, they’re willing to navigate internal processes and reach out to agencies like ours. And if they’re happy with their current partners, that’s perfectly fair too.
Q] What advantages do you think young agencies like yours have over traditional network agencies?
As a young agency, we have a lot more at stake. We take on fewer projects, which means every single one matters. If even two fall flat, it can set us back, so the pressure to deliver is real. Our roles are also clearly defined. If someone is writing, they own it end to end. The work carries our names, so there’s a deep sense of accountability.
We also don’t have the multiple layers of approvals that bigger agencies do, which helps the work stay true to the original idea. For example, on a Sprite campaign, their PPM call had about 50 people, while we were just two. But it worked. And because we come from outside the traditional agency system, we bring a fresh, outsider’s perspective to every brief.
