ASK US FOR IDEAS

Today’s our last day in the office for 2024. So here’s a parting gift from us to you - some words of wisdom from AUFI friend and BeenThereDoneThat co-founder Ed Rogers.

Eyebot are on the cutting edge of vision care. With their tech, you can get your eyes tested in just 90 seconds. When they approached us, they had a complex branding ask: they needed a new brand identity and website that would build trust with both eye care providers and consumers alike. We connected EYEBOT with agencies that could create a compelling yet approachable brand system, and had experience working across B2B and B2C audiences. We also chose teams that we knew could work super collaboratively with EYEBOT’s senior leadership team. EYEBOT went ahead with Milkshake Studio, who designed a comprehensive new visual and verbal identity, brand strategy, and website, where every element of the brand works toward a single goal: making people feel confident about EYEBOT's innovative technology. More on the project HERE: https://lnkd.in/eR8YDtFr

Meet WOW, the name behind some of the most-eyeballed digital billboards in LA. When we met them earlier this year, they were looking for a digital agency to create a truly groundbreaking website - something that would show off their various billboard sites, as well as their commitment to pushing at the boundaries of what technology’s capable of. After our agency introductions, they decided to work with the clever minds at WONDERLAND | Part of Hypersolid, who created a 3D fly-through experience that gives users a whistle stop tour of WOW’s portfolio of iconic sites (including the landmark Randy’s Donuts building). More about the project HERE: https://lnkd.in/dX2Nq7bY

This year we saw upwards of 1,000 creative briefs from brands of all sizes, sectors and shapes. That’s a lot of briefs. So for our very last AUFI Guide of the year, the team got together to think about what the best briefs look like, and how brands can create something that sparks an agency’s enthusiasm AND captures their business needs. “You’re writing a brief to put your best foot forward, and give an agency a head start on understanding your business. It’s the first step in a collaboration so give them the best possible idea of what you’re thinking and what your ambitions are.” – Alex Lenzan “Give the agency an all-round view of the brand – where it’s coming from, and what they’re looking to achieve. Write as if you’re telling the story to somebody.” – Sarah Davies “Always ask: is this a useful insight? Is it going to help the agency understand what I need, and is it relevant to the project? Work out what’s important for the process, and don’t overload the team with information.” – Lotte Wilkinson “Briefs are a good way for the client team to align on a viewpoint. But it’s really important to see the brief as something with a level of fluidity. In most instances, it doesn’t have to be a rigid thing that can never change.” – Toby Wilkinson Read the full Guide here: https://lnkd.in/eDVqrP5K

It’s not every day we get to enter the metaverse 👽 So when digital fashion leaders BLUEBERRY approached us, we were all in. They were looking for an agency to help them reach the next level of growth by redeveloping the brand. It needed to feel native to fans of all ages, and also exciting to Mattel execs and VC investors. We introduced them to a shortlist of branding agencies that had experience creating consumer brands from scratch, and that we knew would have real chemistry with the stakeholders. Day Job turned out to be the perfect fit. They designed a whole new look and feel for BLUEBERRY that’s set them up to retain their leading position of this fast-growing market. Find out more on how we made this possible HERE: https://lnkd.in/ewXvfkfG

No one’s making moves quite like Common Goal. After decades spent harnessing football as a tool for social change, they were ready to refresh their visual and verbal identity. But the right team had to be drafted in - so we connected them with agencies from our network who would love and appreciate COMMON GOAL’s work, and be able to turn their legacy into an iconic brand. From our shortlist, COMMON GOAL chose to work with Barkas. The new brand brings an infectious optimism and emphasises how powerful football can be as a force for good. Read more about the project in the link in comments.

“This idea that there’s an audience sitting there, waiting for your message to turn up in front of them, is just not real anymore. Every brand has to start to think about how they actually grab attention and participate in the world.” – Jono Holt. For the latest episode of our Private View(s) podcast: we chatted with OTHERWAY founder Jono Holt about short attention spans, micro-branding, and the ever-growing challenging of finding (and keeping) an audience. Link to the full episode in the comments 👇

If you’re hiring an agency, what’s the number one driving factor? - Their unique, ‘outside-in’ POV - The resource they can add to your team - Their access to deep insight - The high-level creative expertise they offer - Their fresh thinking and big ideas - Or, maybe, all of the above in beautiful harmony We asked the marketers and brand leaders in our network the same thing, as part of the second edition of The Creative Study – which explores the role creativity plays in our world, its transformative potential, and how brands and agencies fit into all that. They told us that working with a new agency is a powerful mix of excitement and trepidation – a major risk as well as a hugely important part of a brand's growth. Read the full report HERE: https://lnkd.in/e_jur8rJ

“I think people are scared, and if humour has never been a part of their presence before I can see it feeling like a really big leap. But you can’t learn without trying things and seeing what hits.” - Nick Gallo Duolingo and Liquid Death are some of the most-referenced brands of recent times, largely because of their willingness to be unserious. But, for a lot of brands, taking that kind of risk feels like a huge challenge. So we asked our friends at Loop how brands can be bolder, braver and more playful - and why the algorithm rewards those that are prepared to make the leap. Read HERE: https://lnkd.in/ejwRcncV

Putting together an agency shortlist might sound straightforward, but almost all the brands we meet have their own specific requests - and that can be anything from the size or location of an agency, through to more nuanced things such as personality fit and ways of working. When we met First Street, they were looking for: - A partner that could refresh their branding and translate that into a new website - An agency used to working with smaller, fast-paced teams - A team happy to support internal designers with the transition and handover We found the agencies that could tick all of those boxes, and that would be a great fit in terms of personality, chemistry and ambition, and made introductions. Congrats to View Source who won the project, and used First Street’s wealth of data as the driving force for their updated brand identity and website. More here: https://lnkd.in/e5XRk7y3