Bickerstaff.734
Earlier this year, Adweek told the harrowing tale of Bickerstaff.734, a Ukrainian agency fighting back against Russia using the best way it knows how: creativity. Its employees, which have scattered across Europe, with many still in the Ukraine, have created a number of powerful campaigns to rally the country and the world against Russia. Butt it’s also executing purpose-driven work for clients, like Galychyna, a dairy brand that adopted 14 names representing Ukraine’s regions, symbolizing national unity.
How it’s building a better agency: “I don’t make business out of creativity. I’m building an agency I would have dreamt of working at when I was an art director,” said Ilia Anufrienko, the founder and creative director of Bickerstaff.734. “Building a better agency is fueled by fear. You can either fear failure or fear not trying at all. Most of our attempts are successful, and mistakes can be corrected.”
Gut Buenos Aires
Gut Buenos Aires took to the global stage this year by tapping into a number of culturally relevant moments for an impressive client roster that includes Mercado Libre, PedidosYa, Globant and Coca-Cola. Gut asks its clients to be brave, even measuring their braveness on a scale and pushes them to become braver over time. Its clients responded by commissioning gutsy work.
Noblex ran a promo that would refund the purchase of any TV bought on football legend Maradona’s birthday if Argentina won the World Cup. PedidosYa shocked customers with a push notification saying their package was on the way—but the package was actually Argentina’s World Cup trophy.
How it’s building a better agency: “It’s all about priorities. At Gut, we prioritize in this order: People First, Work Second, and Clients Third,” said Gaston Bigio, co-founder and creative chairman at Gut. “The bravest clients understand and appreciate our priorities. When your people are happy, inspired and nurtured—they will do great work.”
Mother London
It’s not often one piece of work beautifully encapsulates an agency’s mission, but Mother London’s seven-minute film for Greenpeace does a pretty good job of fulfilling its “make our children proud” mission. Mother has a long track record of using its creativity for good, and it often produces pieces of work, not for clients, but to make a statement about causes like parental leave and the climate crisis. Its compelling “Don’t Stop” film features an opulent party that begins to go south as the service staff bears the consequences of the partygoers’ actions. It’s a stunning metaphor for fossil fuel brands who continue to rake in record profits, as the film points out.