FOUNDER CREATIVE
First on our ones to watch list is the fantastic Founder Creative. Based out in one of Manchester’s vibrant suburbs, Didsbury (a fan favourite location up in our northern office!), Founder Creative is a creative production house ran by Tom Gent – a powerhouse in the sporting space, previously having significant roles with the likes of UEFA and EA Sports.
Delivering disruptive and unique content that is designed to be a thumb-stopper across multiple platforms, Tom has developed an incredible status within the sporting industry working with the likes of EA FC, McLaren x Vuse and Erling Haaland x Clash of Clans. The niche that Founder Creative have crafted in this space is something we truly commend and respect, as we appreciate just how challenging carving out a speciality can be.
Aside from their bold office spot and Tom’s extensive skillset within the sporting industry (directing the official UEFA Euro 2016 film is definitely any football fans dream!) our admiration for Founder Creative comes from the fact that Tom actually runs Founder Creative as a one man band, meaning he has the capability to swell and shrink the agency on a project to project basis, hand-selecting the best talent to support on this too. With the major client roster they have, this truly is something to shout about and someone to have on your radar!
KENYONS
Next up we have Kenyons, an agency that has been on our one’s to watch list for quite some time (and no, not just because they’re fellow Liverpudlians!). Kenyons are a family-led creative marketing agency specialising in everything from marketing campaigns and brand design, to PR and comms and videography working with leading brands such as Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Transport for Greater Manchester and NHS.
The agency is led by the brilliant Rosie Kenyon, who we admire as a driving force for women in the creative industry given her astonishing achievements in taking over such an established business and making bold statements to take Kenyons in a new and more modern direction. Not only is Rosie leading the agency. She’s also founding a fitness platform and community that delivers a positive culture and wellbeing; she truly is a force to be reckoned with!
Whilst they were originally founded back in 1990, the year everyone had Nothing Compares 2 U blasting through their radios, over the last few years Rosie has been leading the team on a fantastic agency refresh to reignite the Kenyons brand. Given the heritage of the agency and the brilliant legacy they have already harnessed, combined with the birth of the Baltic creative quarter, it’s commendable to see how Rosie and the team are moving in this new direction in line with the growth of Liverpool’s creative hub.
With their brand refresh on the horizon, alongside some exciting new in-house hires too, Kenyons are definitely one to keep your eyes on!
JAMHOT
Jamhot are an agile creative, design & brand studio based in Glasgow’s finest spot, Finnieston (home to one of our favourite pizza spots – Franks). The agency is led by the very talented Graeme Gowan who brings a relentless energy to the Scottish agency scene, having created some fantastic projects for the likes of BBC Music, University of Glasgow, Loch Lomond Brewery, and Innis & Gunn!
One thing that makes Jamhot so ‘hot’ on our radar is their motto to ‘never be the same’. To this, you only have to go on their website and social platforms to see just how true this is and how innovative and transformative their work is. In fact, Jamhot actually run their own design event series named ‘Gab’ which they set up as a way of giving something back to a city that has given them so much which is something we really admire and, quite often, don’t see executed so greatly in the creative scene – a gift from the gab some might say!
Plus, having been established since 2008, they have no doubt gone through many guises in terms of their agency offering and tone of voice; even just looking at their ‘shop window’ (website, socials, etc) they have such a cutting-edge feel that you can’t take your eyes off of. This unique quality really makes them one to watch, but in the same breath, one that people most definitely have been watching for a very long time!
Stay tuned for next month’s Ones to Watch, where we’ll be celebrating 3 more agencies from across the UK and the world making waves within the creative industry.
Looking to grow your agency?
Drop our Head of Growth a message at sam.wheatman@thefuturefactory.co.uk to find out how the we can help!
