The IPA Accelerator scheme is designed to give up-and-coming agencies whose some guidance, help and inspiration as they grow their businesses. Here, we meet some of the first members of the IPA Accelerator community.
Meet the agencies
Coco-nut Creative
Describe your agency in no more than five words?
Young, stylistic, fashion, visual, art, slick
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
I think that I am most proud of our super 8 video campaign for Hopeful Traders, this was a lot of fun and just came out really well.
What’s been the most challenging/interesting campaign you have worked on?
I think the most challenging was our first campaign for Mimi Holliday as this is quite an established lingerie brand so we really had to adhere to their branding but I think we did a good job and the images suited the brand nicely.
What’s the most important thing to your agency?
Our diversity and accepting working environment. One of the main things about Coco-nut Creative is that we want to create diverse work and for us that also means that we have a diverse team behind the scenes.
What does the future of advertising look like to you?
I think it currently looks like there are so many avenues and I think tracking data has become a huge and important part of creating campaigns so I guess it will be more about targeting those specific audiences in the best way possible.
What industry issue is keeping you up at night?
Competing with the bigger agencies around. We are very small but we have a great team and sometimes it can be really hard for clients to trust us with their brands. This is something to build on though.
Advertising is…
...Personal and about that one on one connection.
Advertising can…
...Be art. It really can. It doesn’t have to be solely for selling a product.
What do you hope to get out of being an Accelerator?
I hope that Coco-nut Creative can grow and learn from the best.
GRA
Describe your agency in no more than five words?
Never compromise on client service…Boom- 5 words!
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
It has to be the Lees’ of Scotland trade campaign we did earlier this year. Lees’ were looking to increase distribution of their Snowballs and Teacakes within wholesalers and retailers across Scotland. Despite working closely with Lees’ over the past 5 years, primarily on consumer campaigns, this required a different approach. We used the post-market research from our 2019 TV ad to inform the proposition of the Trade Campaign…for non marketers, in a nutshell, we basically said- “Listen up retailers, 76% of Scots love Lees’ Snowballs, so if you want to keep your customers happy, then stock them!” You can see what we came up with here.
Apart from that, I can honestly say I am proud of every piece of work that GRA sends out the door; from large consumer campaigns, down to the leaflets and flyers. This is because we go through the same rigorous, in depth process for each client and each job, no matter how big or small it is.
What’s been the most challenging/interesting campaign you have worked on?
I don’t think the challenge comes from the campaign itself, I think the challenge comes from what you are trying to achieve with the campaign and really understanding what your client is trying to achieve. That’s key. Whenever we take on a new client, our aim is to “get under the skin of the Directors”, to really understand the base facts and presumptions that form the foundation of every brand and marketing task. Once you know that, then it should be plain sailing from there…… I said “should” be!!!!
What’s the most important thing to your agency?
Efficiency.
What does the future of advertising look like to you?
Very, very personalised.
What industry issue is keeping you up at night?
A second wave of COVID-19.
Advertising is…
I typed this into Google for a bit of inspiration and the first result was “Advertising is…dead”. I rather hope it’s not dead.
Advertising can…
…shape consumers way of thinking.
What do you hope to get out of being an Accelerator?
We’re really looking forward to getting our teeth stuck into the resources that are available and the support network that the IPA provides you with.
Reason
Describe your agency in no more than five words?
The power of 'What if'
Advertising is…
...an ever evolving opportunity to remind people of brands and the value they bring to our lives
What do you hope to get out of being an Accelerator?
To learn from the elite
Studio Gomori
Describe your agency in a photo.
Me looking at myself in the bathroom mirror with a cup of coffee realising that I'm some 37 year old bloke who runs his own company! I build mini freelance teams around myself but the company is just me and I'd much rather be honest about the reality rather than pretend and obsess about the trappings of the fancy agency life.
Describe your agency in no more than five words?
Let's make it mean something
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
I was thrilled to recently write a script for London Sport, who bring together all the amazing sport charities and community organisations across London. They've all really given their all through Covid and it was great to help them express the great work being done. The shoot I directed for Cloak watches with the wonderful Roo Lewis remains one of my favourite pieces of work too - we shot in the Barbican conservatory and it just looks great.
What’s been the most interesting campaign you have worked on?
Music videos tend to be quite hands-on for me. I directed one for a singer called Reuben George and I went to Croydon from North London to get "I'm Leaving You" iced onto a Millie's Cookie.
What’s the most important thing to your agency?
I love helping people do justice to their work with good communication, and helping them become confident in their marketing and branding. I love helping people with an ethical or progessive mission. I want Studio Gomori, as a business, to be a force for good - we all have different decisions to make where there's a way to strive to improve things. That might be socially conscious creative decision-making (casting, language, narrative), outreach to under-represnted freelancers, or promoting ethical businesses.
What does the future of advertising look like to you?
I think more than ever product will play second fiddle to attitude. People are making their decisions on ever more emotional criteria. I also think people will get bored of self-indulgent, big agency ads and money will shift to smaller-scale, more involved and niche-targeted marketing.
What industry issue is keeping you up at night?
That moral issues around social media, technology and data will get so complex that we'll struggle to understand them.
Advertising is...
...what your bigger, eviller competitors are doing, so you'd better get good at it.
Advertising can...
become a part of culture if it's great... but that one happens one in a million times.
What do you hope to get out of being an Accelerator?
Life, business and everything are nothing without community. I hope that sparks will fly and you never know how you can inspire and help each other.
The Raised Eyebrow Society
Describe your agency in a photo.
Describe your agency in no more than five words?
Great engaging purpose-led ideas
Which piece of work are you most proud of?
Our children’s book series for the N.H.S.
What’s been the most challenging/interesting campaign you have worked on?
The charity partnership with C.A.L.M. It involves a product innovation with a major retailer. We did the idea first, so getting it in front of the right client is a challenge. And, developing a new product involves more that you imagine and takes longer than expected. It’s a great idea that will do an immense amount of good, so it’s well worth it.
What’s the most important thing to your agency?
Bringing great purpose-led ideas to life, so we can help others have a positive effect on people, planet and society in a relevant, effective and engaging way.
What does the future of advertising look like to you?
I believe we’re entering an era where brands will need to be contributing to the greater good as a bi-product of their core business, or risk being overlooked by the ever-increasing number of conscientious consumers. In the future global brands may start using their resources and infrastructure to take on major issues. Imagine Pepsi announcing they were going to make cleaning the oceans their primary objective, over and above selling fizzy liquid. Stating they would channel their profits into achieving the task. Would they now stand a chance of becoming the world’s No.1 selling cola?
What industry issue is keeping you up at night?
Bad advertising. It pollutes our minds. If advertisers are going to relentlessly invade our lives, the least they can do is entertain us in the process. Nobody likes bad advertising, and everyone appreciates great advertising. It’s a major part of our culture. Make it as good as it can be.
Advertising is…
….an effective way to change minds and evolve attitudes.
Advertising can…
….play a significant role in making the world a better and more sustainable place.
What do you hope to get out of being an Accelerator?
Initially, we enquired about membership because we actively conceive ideas and then approached a relevant client, so we wanted the protection the I.P.A. offers. Since joining we’ve be exposed to a whole host of opportunities to expand our knowledge and understanding of other aspects of the business.
Last updated 10 March 2021